


The Trivial Matters of the Heart

by WolfOak15



Category: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Genre: Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Arranged Marriage, Drama & Romance, F/M, Fluff, Out of Character, Romance, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-12
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2020-08-19 16:11:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 58,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20212585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WolfOak15/pseuds/WolfOak15
Summary: The marriage of Lady Starlight Glimmer and the Duke Sunburst Zenith had been arranged for them ever since they were foals.Now that they're old enough, their parents think it's high time they marry. Neither are excited by the prospect of marrying a pony they only knew briefly as foals, but neither of them opposed it, after all, with the wedding a year away it gives more than enough time to get to know the other, right?Understanding and compromise has been given under even stranger circumstances, perhaps love could also be found?





	1. a predestined meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Hello readers and lurkers, I've said it once and will say it again: the lack of StarBurst content in this site is abysmal! Join me as I fill this site little by little! Or not (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻  
As for the story, I'm not entirely sure where I'm going with it, so it's as much as a mystery for me as it is for you. Let's see where it goes.

“Thank you for your patience, the Duchess will be here to greet you shortly.”

Both father and daughter nodded at the maid, who bowed and closed the door gently behind her. There was a beat of silence before the older stallion sighed, leaning slightly against the couch as his shoulders slumped with relief.

“Well, this is it Starlight, are you excited?”

Starlight Glimmer didn’t relax on the cushions like her father but sat still and proper as she looked at him and smiled, but it looked more like a grimace. 

“As much as I could be, given the circumstances.”

Her father looked sadden but didn’t try to counter her verbal jab, he simply reached out with his magic and the teacup in front of him floated to his muzzled as he took a sip of the beverage. “Starlight,” he said gently, pausing for a moment as he gathered his thoughts and settled the cup on the table. “I know that this isn’t exactly what you wanted, but I…”

“It’s fine,” cut off Starlight. “Let’s…let’s just focus on getting through this.”

There was so much she wanted to say, but the words clogged her throat and made her head spin. It was a miracle she managed to choke out that small quip, if only because she couldn’t stand another pity speech from her father. His last one had been convincing enough to drag her for this “interview” and she didn’t want to give him any more leeway than she already had. 

Firelight nodded and patted her hoof. “That’s my girl.”

Starlight didn’t answer and looked out the window. It was closed, the curtains were drawn apart, letting the natural light in, and Starlight could see the gardens beyond. The place looked beautiful from where she sat and she longed to walk through it, wanting to see what kind of flowers were in bloom, if any at all. She only had a glimpse of the greenery when she arrived earlier that morning, she thought she saw gardenias or white roses in the distance, but she had been taken inside before she could look any further.

“I wonder what’s keeping her,” mused Firelight out loud and glance at his pocket watch, “I hope everything is alright.”

“Maybe she’s busy today,” Starlight said trying to keep the hope from her voice. “We should just go and come back at another time.”

“No Starlight, I know the Duchess, she’s very punctual and organized…sometimes to a fault.”

There was a slight commotion on the other side of the white wooden doors, it sounded like two ponies arguing, both trying and failing to keep their voices low with harsh whispers, neither Starlight or Firelight could make out what was being said but the tone of voice used was unmistakably angry and annoyed.

There was a bit of scuffling of hooves, another harsh whisper, and then a momentary silence. There was a knock on the door and an older mare followed by a younger stallion walked into the room.

Her father stood and bowed with Starlight doing the same. “Duchess Stellar Flare, it’s a great joy to see you again after so many years.”

“Likewise, Sir Firelight, but please just call me Stellar Flare, none of this Duchess nonsense from my closest friend.”

Firelight smiled and nodded, reaching out a hoof to take Stellar Flare’s own and giving it a quick kiss. Starlight watched with barely contained curiosity, thinking if they were on such good terms, why didn’t they get married instead of pushing the responsibility on to their children? Speaking of which…

She risked a glance at the other stallion in the room, their gazes met for a moment before looking away, embarrassed by being caught by the other. She only managed to catch a hint of messy red hair and dark blue eyes.

“My, is this little Starlight?” Said the Duchess, Starlight look up just as the Duchess took her in with a hug. “Look at you! You’re so big now!”

The Duchess grip was tight and she barely managed to squeak out a reply. “I—uh— Thank you, ma’am.”

“It’s been years since I last saw you,” Stellar Flare said as she released her, looking at her and giving her a warm maternal smile. “You look just like your mother when she was your age.”

The mention of her dear mother caught her off guard, prodding an old wound that would never fully heal, she swallowed the sudden lump in her throat and smiled thinly. “Thank you, did you know my mother?”

“Know her!? Oh, sweety! We were practically inseparable as foals; we got into all sorts of trouble and drove our poor parents crazy with our adventures! I was the one with the plans but your mother was a go-getter, nothing stood in her way when she wanted something, so when she set eyes on your father, well, the poor fellow had little choice in the matter, which reminds me…” Stellar Flare motioned for the young stallion to step forward. Which he did with great reluctance. “This is my son: Sir Sunburst Zenith! You two used to meet up every summer when you were little, remember?”

Starlight did, even if those memories were hazy at best.

It was a happy time, anytime when her mother was alive and healthy was a happy time for her, regardless of what was going on. She recalled a charming cottage with a river and a pond in the yard, surrounded by tall pine trees with moss on their barks, and little paths that she would walk as she trailed behind a young pony.

The Duke in her memories was a small colt, even smaller than her for his age, who was soft-spoken and always had a book with him, which he would use to hide his face from the world and ignore her. Maybe that was the reason she couldn’t remember him all that well and why now, years later, she was studying his features so unapologetically.

He’d grown and she had to raise her head to look at him properly; he was taller than her now, maybe even a little taller than her father. His red hair was long and messy, though some attempt had been made to control the rebellious mop of hair, while his yellow coat had been brushed and washed until it reached a glossy sheen. Sitting on his muzzle was a pair of round glasses, something he didn’t need when they were younger, framing his blue eyes and completing the look of a scatterbrain scholar he’d grown to be.

“It’s a pleasure to see you again, Sir Zenith.” Starlight said and bowed, breaking the eye contact as she lowered her head.

“The pleasure it’s all mine, Lady Glimmer.” He said, there was a nervous tinge to his words and Starlight wondered why.

With introductions out of the way, the group sat and discussed details for the upcoming engagement and wedding. Firelight and Stellar Flare leading the conversation while their children said nothing.

It was the parent’s idea after all.

Starlight watched the stallion seated in front of her, and when their eyes met this time she didn’t look away, simply offered a friendly smile.

Starlight knew that this day would come, ever since she was a little filly. Her parents made it no secret that she been promised to another, they told her before she even knew what “being promised to” meant, and by the time she did she couldn’t bring herself to completely oppose the idea. However, she kept her expectations low and tried not to have any romantic delusions, this was only another business deal, she told herself, like everything else her family did.

Her family was one of the few families that had made its fortune through hard work and smart business decisions, something that Starlight was immensely proud of, but her humble origins were looked down upon by most of Canterlot’s high society.

Starlight didn’t care, even if it meant limiting her social circle to just a hoof-full of friends, but her father did. He worried about what would happen to his daughter once he was gone, even though he was confident that she could continue the family business, it would be hard if she was still unmarried and ignored by those that could help her. He’d seen it first hoof when he married Starlight’s mother, who had been born to a noble family and had to give up her title to be with him. Back then his business was just starting and barely turning in a profit, and when they married and his trade took off his wife’s family still refused to acknowledge their union, even now that he was richer than all of them combine. The damage was done and she’d been shunned by all those she once called family.

Her mother told her time and time again that she never regretted her decision, but maybe she wanted to protect her daughter from the backlash she’d suffered in the early days of her marriage, or maybe Firelight shared his concerns with her and found them valid, never the less, something happened that prompted her to message Lady Stellar Flare, one of the few socialite ponies that didn’t turn her back on her friend when she married Firelight.

At the time, Stellar Flare had just given birth to a foal of her own and she too was worried about his future. Her husband passed away when their son was still very young, no more than five years old, and she’d inherited his title and his lands…along with the massive debts he’d been keeping from her. She was forced to sell most of those lands to settle the debts, leaving her with little income, an empty title, and a son who would inherit nothing if she didn’t do something. 

Starlight wondered if it happened during a series of correspondences, or during one of the summers she and Sir Zenith were forced to play together, either way, the head of each family came to a mutually beneficial agreement: Firelight promised his daughter hoof in marriage to Duchess Stellar Flare’s son, securing the future of both their families. 

And now here they were, making good on the promise.

“Oh, Starlight, Firelight was telling me that you like my garden?” Stellar Flare said.

Starlight looked up, startled from her musings. “Yes, I saw it on our way here, it looked beautiful.”

“Why thank you, dear, that garden is my pride and joy, I love showing it off whenever I have the chance, but you will have to pardon me, my dear, since there’s still so much to discuss, I can’t give you a personal tour.” Her tone was apologetic but Starlight could see a calculating spark in her eyes as she turned towards her son. “Sunburst, why don’t you show her the gardens? We will catch up once we finish discussing this matter.”

“Of course,” Sir Zenith said and stood up, and with great reluctance, Starlight did the same.

She followed him out of the tea room into the wide corridor outside. The house was massive and she was partly glad for his guidance, with her being unfamiliar to this place she would’ve been lost on the first turn she took. Maybe now it was a good time as ever to familiarize herself with this place, if she was going to marry the Duke, she would probably move here. The thought brought her disgust instead of joy. She felt like a leech, latching on to her husband-to-be for his title. But wouldn’t that make him a leech also? Forced to play nice to her only because of her money? Do leeches suck on other leeches? She shook her head to dislodged those confusing thoughts and focused on walking. 

She followed him quietly through the corridors, taking in the carpeted floor that muffled their steps, the large windows that let the summer sun into the house, and the occasional art piece that decorated the walls.

Sir Zenith didn’t even as much as glance at them, but Starlight would occasionally slow her steps to admire the artwork. She wasn’t a connoisseur of the fine arts; she was simply curious about the bright colors and fantastical sceneries depicted on the canvas. Most of the paintings were of water gardens and she wondered at the Duchess fascination with them.

Finally, they reached a wall with a glass door in it, he opened it and let Starlight pass before following her and closing it behind him with a soft click. 

“Wow,” Starlight said, once her eyes were accustomed to the sunlight. “This garden…it’s lovely.”

It didn’t look like any of the gardens that she knew, with straight pathways and perfectly manicured flora, it felt like she’d stepped into a real forest untouched by pony kind. The trails were marked only because no grass grew on it and it had been cleared of stones, they didn’t cut through the land, instead, they move with it, curving around trees and following the outline of the lake in the center of the garden.

The lake and the little island in the center of it was the main attraction of this garden, it was bigger than she expected and she wondered just how big this land was. Water lilies were floating peacefully on the edges, and the water was perfectly still, acting like a huge mirror that reflected the blue summer sky and its fluffy white clouds. She felt like she was standing at the edge of a floating island, or the borders of Cloudsdale. 

“Mother will be pleased to hear that.” He said and watched her as she walked ahead, following silently as she explored the property.

The garden was beautiful and remained so no matter how far she ventured into it, but the experience was somewhat dulled by the company she was keeping. Unlike his mother, the Duke was not a chatterbox, opting to silently follow her as they walked, which would’ve been fine if Starlight could find a way to ignore his presence. His steps were too loud, he was always visible from the corner of her eye and she could feel him watching her, making her feel self-conscious of every move she made. Starlight tried to say something to break the awkward silence, but she felt tongue-tied and remained quiet.

Starlight turned to her left and spotted a little bench, shaded under the low hanging branches of a willow tree. She walked towards it and sat on the faded marble; she wasn’t tired but the privacy that the tree offered was the perfect place to talk. 

Before she could gather her words, Sir Zenith beat her to the punch. 

“This is awkward, isn’t it, Lady Glimmer?” He smiled at the mare beside him, he sounded apologetic. “I’m sorry about that.”

“Oh, it’s not like that, Sir Zenith.” Starlight said quickly, startled by his words.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Well then, we should discuss living arrangements and plan how many foals we’re going to have.” His smile faded as he spoke and his tone was serious. “I would prefer ten foals, but I would settle for eight.”

She blinked.

Then, Starlight’s face crumpled as she let out a laugh. “Alright, I understand, Sir Zenith, this is awkward.”

“See?” He chuckled and looked out at the peaceful lake. “I know this is our first meeting, but I need to ask you some awkward questions, if you don’t want to answer them I understand, I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable.”

Starlight smiled and nodded. “Alright, but only if I can also ask awkward questions of my own, and you promise me to answer them honestly.”

The Duke pretended to meditate his answer before nodding earnestly. “That sounds reasonable.” He paused for a moment before asking his first question. “Are you certain you want to move forward with this marriage? I mean, is there some pony else…like a boyfriend? If you want, I can speak to my mother to cancel the wedding.”

Starlight blinked and sat perfectly still, baffled that her groom-to-be would ask such a question.

It was true that this was an arranged marriage, something that had been pushed on to them, their thoughts and feelings never once taken into consideration, only the political and financial gain that such a union would bring to their families. She only knew the Duke as the heir to the Zenith family, but she would never have guessed that he was so…

“That’s very kind of you…” Starlight said with a gentle smile, touched by his thoughtfulness. Not even her father had asked her if she wanted to go through with this marriage. “And I thank you, but I don’t have a boyfriend, sorry to disappoint you.”

Now that she thought of it, the thought of breaking the engagement never crossed her mind.

The Duke smiled, looking somewhat relieved. “Why should I be disappointed? I feel like the luckiest stallion in Equestria.”

She laughed and asked her question, “What about you? Any special pony I should be aware of?”

“If I had one, do you think I would be offering to break off this engagement?”

“Well, yes, I would like to know now in case I have to fight for your hoof in marriage on our wedding day.”

An image pops up in her mind of her dressed in a wedding gown, fighting a group of mares also dressed in wedding gowns, with the Duke sitting in the corner with a bucket of popcorn and watching the action unfold. They both laughed at the absurd scenario she conjured, and they took a moment to compose themselves before he spoked again.

“Yes, that’s a fair point. Alas, I’m afraid that no other mare has considered me as a suitable match.” 

“I’m sorry to hear that, but that’s a relief for me, fighting in a gown is near impossible.”

They chuckled and the pair fell into an easy silence, the first one they experience that day. They couldn’t help but feel at ease with the other’s sincerity, the awkwardness between lessening until it was almost none existent. Starlight almost didn’t want to break it.

“How old are you, Sir Zenith?” She suddenly asked, ending the comfortable silence.

“I’m twenty-seven, and you?”

“Twenty-five.” Starlight said and tossed her mane over her shoulder. “Are you sure you want to marry a spinster like me? According to most stallions, I’m already past my prime.”

“Yes,” he said quickly, and Starlight looked at him with a look of surprise. “Honestly, I’m glad our parents waited this long for us to marry. I can’t imagine going through this when I was eighteen.”

“Why would you say that?”

He took a breath before speaking. “I was just an overgrown foal in many ways, fresh out of Magic School, with no direction or purpose…not prepared in any way to take on a wife.”

She did the math in her head and said. “And I would’ve been sixteen.”

Starlight vision herself at that age, recalling a young mare with more anger than sense, orphaned of a mother, her father absent due to work, no one to guide her or stop her from making poor choices. If it hadn’t been for her friends, she didn’t know what would have been of her, if she would even be here today.

She pictured that angry mare being forced to marry, and the thought made her wince.

Maybe there was a reason why their parents had postponed the marriage.

“As long as we’re being honest,” Starlight said after a pause, gripping the last of her courage before it fled. “I confess that I’m still very anxious about all…this.” She gestured at the space between them.

“Do I make you uncomfortable?”

“I don’t know, and that’s just it: all my life, I’ve been told that I was to marry you, but all I know is your name and title, I don’t know anything about _you_.” She explained and her ears lowered slightly as she sighed. “Nothing terrifies me more than the idea of marrying a stranger.”

“Lady Glimmer,” Sir Zenith said gently. “If that’s what you fear, then ask me anything you want, anything you want to know, let me help you ease those doubts. I…I can’t promise that you’ll like everything you hear, but I can promise that I won’t be deceitful with my answers.”

Starlight watched him as he spoke. He seems a little nervous, but that just made him appear all the more sincere. To see him so anxious gave her a strange sense of comfort, it made her feel like she wasn’t alone with her fears or going crazy when those around were so collected. She smiled gently and let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. 

“Thank you so much, Sir Zenith.”

He grinned. “What do you want to know?” 

Starlight and the Duke continued to lighter topics, like the weather, their favorite food, their favorite flower, their favorite color, etc. Time passed without either of them noticing until, when they were in the middle of a debate about Ponisagus' impact on magical theory, they heard their names being called in the distance. They instantly recognize the voices of their respective parent.

“Oh my,” Starlight said, looking at the lake and sky tinged in the colors of twilight. “Look how late it is.”

“I’m sorry Lady Glimmer, I should’ve realized the time.” Sir Zenith said hurriedly, standing from the marble bench, he turned to offer his hoof to Starlight, but she was already standing and dusting off the dust from her skirts.

He drops his hoof with a little reluctance.

“I better get going before my father thinks the worse.”

_“Chipmunk cheeks! Where are you?!” _Her father yelled in a desperate tone.

Starlight winced. “Too late, he already thinks the worse.”

“I’ll take the brunt of his anger if it’s any consolation.” The stallion said, guiding Starlight down the path they came from, it was much darker under the cover of the trees so he stayed close at by her side in case she tripped. “But in all seriousness Lady Glimmer, if there’s anything I can do to diverge your father’s anger from yourself let me know.”

“Please don’t fret Sir Zenith, there are few things I can do that would truly upset him, he’s just worried.” She said, ducking under a particularly low branch. “I’ll speak to him, which should calm him down.”

As they walked, the sound of their parent’s voices got louder until they could see them just a few steps away. They were standing in front of the mansion, in the middle of the clearing that separated the garden from the building, with the light of the house pouring from the glass doors onto the ground, outlining their silhouettes.

The young pair stood somewhat hidden in the shadows of the trail. The Duchess spotted them first and waved, causing Firelight to turn and give Sunburst a serious look. The young stallion winced, steeling himself for the boxing his ears were about to receive and stepped forward, only to be stopped when a gentle hoof on his side rested on his shoulder. 

“I want three.”

The Duke blinked and looked at Starlight with confusion. “Excuse me?”

“Three foals.” Starlight said, perfectly seriously even if her smile was coy like. “No more, no less.”

Starlight walked away to greet her father and her future mother-in-law; she didn’t notice the blush she’d caused. 

* * *

_“You’re getting married?!"_

Starlight Glimmer winced, rubbing her left ear to stop it from ringing. “Could you say that a little louder, guys? I don’t think they heard you in Yak-Yakistan.”

Starlight had invited her three closest friends for their bi-weekly to get together in her home in Shire’s Town. Since the four of them lead widely different lives it was rare for the group to be together like this, and Starlight was immensely happy that all of them could make it this time, even if her hearing would never be the same after this. Glancing at her friends sitting on the table with her, she wasn’t surprised by their reactions, never the less their expressions amused her.

Trixie Lulamoon was the funniest by far, being a show pony by heart she had a penchant for being dramatic, and she didn’t disappoint with her answer. She stood on her back legs, her forelegs braced against the table, knocking her chair over with a clatter. Her eyes were wide and her mouth hangs open, looking at Starlight like she grew a second horn.

“You’re getting married?” Trixie repeated in a lower tone.

“Yes, is it that hard to believe?”

“Are you asking literally or figuratively?” said a monotone voice.

Maud Pie’s eyebrows rose a quarter of an inch, which was the most movement Starlight had seen in her face for the passing hour. She was the hardest pony to impress since she rarely smiled or expressed herself, but she was painfully direct with her words, saying exactly what she was thinking in a monotone voice, making it hard to tell when she was joking and when she was being serious.

“Oh my gosh! This is so exciting!” Silverstream said, bouncing slightly in her seat while looking at Starlight with wide eyes. “Do we know him? When can we meet him? How did he propose? Was it romantic? Tell us everything!”

Starlight smiled at the young hippogriff, hating to be the one to break the idealistic delusions she had. Silverstream was young, optimistic and a romantic at heart, believing firmly in the power of true love and happily ever after’s, but she was also old enough to understand that not everyone got them.

There was no way to sugar coat this, she had to tell them the truth.

“Actually, Silverstream,” Starlight said, interrupting her romantic rambling, “this marriage was decided for us when we were very little.” 

A beat of silence.

“WHAT!?” Trixie and Silverstream exclaimed; Maud Pie’s eyebrows rose another quarter of an inch.

“You’re marrying a guy you don’t _love_!?”

“You’re being forced to marry a guy you don’t _know_!?”

“This is terrible!”

“We have to stop this!”

“How can we help?”

“Trixie’s carriage is in the back! If we run now, we’ll be at the border in—”

“GUYS!” Starlight yelled, cutting through her friend’s desperate chatter. “It’s okay, I’m not being forced, I’ve known about it for years, ever since I was little.”

“For years?” Trixie said and exchanged looks with the others on the table. “Then how come you never told me—I mean, us, about it?”

Starlight smiled sadly and patted her friend’s shoulder. “I’m sorry Trixie, I shouldn’t have kept this from any of you, the engagement just seemed so far away and I didn’t want to alarm you with something I didn’t even have a date set for.”

“Then that means you got a deadline now?” said Maud after a beat of silence.

“The _date_,” Starlight corrected, giving Maud a pointed look, “is next spring, the engagement party is in two weeks.” 

“But who are you marrying Starlight?” asked Silverstream loudly, interrupting the mares staring contest. “Is it some pony we know?”

“His name is Sunburst Zenith, we used to play together when we were foals, though last week was the first time I’ve seen him in years.” She said, omitting the detail about his noble title, she figured she already dropped enough bombshells on her friends for today. 

Her friends went quiet, each of them thinking where they had heard that name before, if ever. After a few seconds, Trixie gave up and took a sip of her tea, and nearly spat it out when Silverstream gasped and jumped out of her chair.

“You’re marrying an important wizard!?”

“Oh, I thought I heard that name somewhere,” Maud said unconcernedly and ate another cookie.

“Wait—what? What are you talking about?”

The hippogriff sat back down with an excited grin. “His family is, like, super good at magic, or I think he’s really good at magic? Anyway, he’s written a bunch of books and Professor Twilight says he’s the authority when it comes to spells and stuff like that.”

Starlight looked just as dumbfounded by this news as her friends, probably even more since it never crossed her mind that her fiancé might have a job. The nobles she knew only talked about the parties they attended or the latest gossip, she saw from her first meeting with Sir Zenith that he was different in that regard, now she felt like kicking herself for not asking him one of the most basic of questions when meeting some pony new.

Maud set down her teacup before adding: “Some say he’s the next Star Swirl.” 

“In other words: he’s a nerd, my best friend is marrying a nerd,” Trixie said with a huff. “Well, I guess you could’ve done worse than marrying some boring book worm.”

“Yeah, funny how these things just happen,” Starlight laughed nervously and quickly changed the subject. “You can all met him at the engagement party and judge for yourselves, which you are all invited by the way.”

“But, Starlight,” said Silverstream with genuine concern. “It’s arranged marriage…are you sure about this?”

They all looked concerned and Starlight was immensely touched by it, but she didn’t want to explain to them the real reasons behind her engagement. She didn’t think that they would understand, not when they all had grown up with the idea that marriage was something done out of love and devotion. Mares like her couldn’t just marry the first stallion that catches her fancy, she had too much to lose in that regard. Besides, she could see how they would take it the wrong way, when she broke down the reason to its barest of essentials, it all sounded very shallow: _He’s only marrying me for my money, and I’m only marrying him for his title._

She should just be happy that her husband-to-be was as gentle and thoughtful as he is like Trixie said, she could have done much worse. 

“I think I’ll be okay,” Starlight said with honesty. “He’s grown up to be a generous stallion, in fact…”

She told them how he was prepared to call off the wedding is she happened to have a boyfriend, they all seemed impressed by his kindness. At least Silverstream and Trixie were, it was hard to tell with Maud. 

“If this is what you want Starlight, then we’re behind you one hundred percent!” Said the young hippogriff with a smile.

“Me too,” Maud added in her usual monotone.

They both turn to look at Trixie, who after a few moments finally cave. “Yeah, yeah, power of friendship and all that…just, promise to tell us if something happens? Like, if he snores or he’s secretly a jerk.”

Starlight grinned. “I promise to come to you if he so much as frowns at me, besides, who to better confide in than my own brides’ maids?”

Trixie and Silverstream gasped, and Maud finally cracked a tiny smile. “This should be fun.”

The conversation shifted into impromptu wedding planning, the mood had lightened considerably and Starlight has swept away with the others in their enthusiasm, then she remembered what Silverstream had mentioned and asked. 

“By the way, Silverstream, do you know the name of any of the books he’s written?”


	2. unexpected, but not unwelcome

Mountains of paper surrounded her.

Starlight sat, hunched over a report on the trading routes, contrasting it with another report on the expenses of said route. She hummed and nodded, tapping the tip of her quill to her lips, before she signed her name at the end of the paper.

Managing trade routes, though highly lucrative, was also tedious work. Starlight spent most of her time behind a desk, reading reports of the many merchants contracted by the company, checking what they were transporting, that it was the correct amount, and that the worth of the cargo was enough to compensate the expense of the travel. The routes went far and wide, covering the major cities of Equestria and beyond. Starlight knew those cities, but she never went further than that, she didn’t get to travel to the places that the merchants did, her father would never allow it.

It had been a point of contention in her teenage years, her rebellious nature longed for adventure, which was fueled by the large quantities of adventure novels she read and the passing of her mother made her look for a form of escapism. However, her father remained firm in his conviction of protecting his daughter, even if he spoiled her in other ways, this was the one thing he never indulged her in.

So, Starlight grew without setting a hoof outside of Equestrian borders, instead, she devoured every book and report of those foreign lands. That way, even if she never got to see these places with her own eyes, she would at least know everything there is to know about them. Her thirst for knowledge proved helpful when she officially began her apprenticeship, and she settled into her role as her father’s successor without much trouble.

Still, Starlight never gave up on her dream. She would see those faraway places with her own eyes, whether her father liked it or not.

A knock on her door brought her back to the present. She blinked with surprise and called out. “Come in!”

The door opened and a maid walked in. “Lady Glimmer, a letter for you has just arrived, from someone called Sir Zenith.”

Starlight extended her hoof as the maid gave her the letter. The front only had her name and address, written in rushed but elegant writing she didn’t recognize, but when she turned it, she saw a familiar seal and her breath caught in her throat. “What?”

Two weeks had passed since the interview and she hadn’t given much thought to her fiancé, caught up in her work and the preparations for the engagement party. She broke the seal and read the letter:

> _Lady Glimmer;_
> 
> _I hope this note finds you well. I arrived yesterday afternoon to Shire’s Town, a few days ahead of my mother, in hopes of speaking with you freely without her meddling. I’m staying at the Tree Groove’s Inn for the duration of my stay, if you’re otherwise free I would like to invite you to lunch to a place of your choosing. I await your reply._
> 
> _Sir Sunburst Zenith._

That’s right, they were supposed to come in two days, just in time for the party. Her heart raced at the implication of wanting to speak freely with her. Did something happen? What was it that he wanted to tell her without his mother overhearing? She took a deep breath and released it, reeling her imagination.

“Is his messenger still here?” Starlight asked when she finished reading.

“Yes, my lady.”

“Alright, hold on.” Starlight pulled a fresh piece of paper and wrote a hasty reply.

> _Sir Zenith;_
> 
> _I’m well, thanks for your concern. I’ll gladly join you for lunch, wait for me on the lobby of the Tree Groove, I know a couple of places that serve the best tea and snacks._
> 
> _Sincerely, Lady Starlight Glimmer._

She closed the letter, put a drop of wax on the edges and stamp her seal on it. She blew on the warm wax so it would dry faster and gave it to her maid.

“Take this to the messenger, Sugar Belle,” she said and glanced at the mirror, her nose wrinkling at the sight of her messy mane. “And call for Zephyr Breeze.”

The only reason Starlight kept Zephyr on staff was that he was good at what he did. Her mane never looked better than when he worked on it, but other than that, he was the laziest bum she ever had the displeasure of knowing. He liked to take his time, talking a mile a minute about things that didn’t matter, wearing Starlight’s patience thin with his babbling. When he was done, her mane was smooth and styled to perfection, but she was late and she didn’t have time to admire it before she was running out the door towards the inn.

Her home was close to the town, three-story home in a quiet neighborhood, so there was no need for a carriage, still, part of her regretted not getting one as she entered the center of the town. Starlight was forced to slow down, and she walked as fast as she could without breaking into a run. Shire Town was small by city standards, but it was lively—especially at this hour—and she was constantly weaving between ponies that walked too slow and stopping to avoid a collision.

When she glanced up, she spotted the sign of the inn just a few feet ahead and her walking turned into a full sprint as she dived towards the door. The wooden door swung open easily, hitting the wall with a loud thud and startled the receptionist at the desk.

“I’m sorry,” Starlight mumbled with a sheepish smiled and closed the door softly behind her. “I’m looking for Sir Zenith? A yellow unicorn, with glasses and a red mane?”

The receptionist pointed at a doorway. “He’s in there reading, I think.”

Starlight nodded and entered the room. It was a lounge room, with couches and tables set up in various places around the room with the occasional potted plant, pictures of black and white landscapes hang from the white plaster walls along with other memorabilia she didn’t care to examine.

The Duke wasn’t hard to find, even if his face was covered by a book. His messy mane was unmistakable and she walked towards him quietly. So engrossed he was with his reading that he didn’t notice her until she was right next to him, reading over his shoulder.

“Ah, Houyhnhnm’s Guide to Magical Arcana, I see that you’re a fan of the classics.”

He jumped, losing his grip over the book and spent a good minute trying to catch it before it fell to the floor, once he had it safely secured in his hooves, he turned to see her with a sheepish grin and his cheeks blushing.

“Ha, ha, you know, no matter how many times I read it, it never gets boring.”

Starlight nodded and her smile faltered for a bit. “I’m sorry I’m late.” She said as she glanced at the clock, it had been an hour and a half since he sent his letter.

“I’m the one that needs to apologize, I made you come all the way here,” he stood, putting the book down and adjusting his glasses. “I’ll understand if you’re busy…”

“No, it’s alright, your letter surprised me, but it also made me very happy.” When she realized what she said, she put a hoof over her mouth, her eyes wide. “I mean…it’s just…”

His blush intensified, and he fought the goofy smile from growing too large. “Oh, ok then, s-should we go?”

She took his offered hoof and they walked together out of the inn. She guided them towards a restaurant not far away, it was her favorite place to eat when she had the time, though she worried for a moment that it might not be to the Duke’s tastes. It wasn’t the fanciest place Shire’s Town had to offer, but the food was good, the portions were well served and the prices reasonable. She glanced at him when she pointed out the establishment, looking for any sign of disgust or hesitation. But he simply smiled and did not comment as they entered.

They were given a booth on the corner of the restaurant, next to the window looking down at the street. She kept an eye on him as she read over the menu—she already knew the items by heart—part of her waiting for the snobbish nature of nobles to appear on his face. He did frown a bit as he read the items on the menu, though if it was from revulsion or indecision she couldn’t tell.

The waitress came and took their orders (a salad for her and a green sprout soup for him), once she was gone Starlight decided to cut to the chase.

“Hmm, Sir Zenith, though I’m very happy to see you again, I can’t help but wonder why you’ve come so early,” Starlight asked trying her best not fidget as his eyes fixed on hers. “You said you wanted to speak to me?”

The Duke blinked his blue eyes before he smiled. “Well, for one, once my mother arrives there won’t be peace for any of us, she means well most of the time but she can get carried away with her plans.” He shuddered before continuing. “And the other reason…is a little selfish, I forced myself to finish my work early so I could come and see you sooner.”

She felt a flush of happiness mixed with mortification, she hid her discomfort with a chuckle, “You shouldn’t have done that, after we get married, we will see each other all the time.”

“I…just don’t like to write letters if I can see someone in person,” his eyes lowered to the table between them, he looked sadden although his pleasant smile was still present. “I don’t want to start a relationship that way.”

“I see,” she said, catching the sadness in his voice.

She could relate to it. When her mother died, her father started working full time in his company. Since Firelight was always so busy, Starlight rarely saw him at home, the only form of communication was through letters and the expensive gifts he would send her. Those gifts would always be attached with a note asking for her forgiveness, promising that he would be there next time, for the next birthday, the next recital, the next graduation. And he would always break them. The mare glanced at the stallion in front of her, wondering if maybe he had gone through the same.

The waitress came with their food, and the pair fell into comfortable silence in favor of eating. Starlight noted that he ate his food with relish and she smiled to herself, feeling proud for choosing this place and glad that the Duke wasn’t as snobbish as his brethren. They ordered some tea and fell into easy conversation, the world dwindling as they talked about alchemy, history, and magic.

“Oh, that reminds me,” Starlight said, pulling out a small red book from her saddlebag. “Would you mind signing this for me?”

The stallion took the book, his eyes widening as he read the cover: _The Confines of Magic _by Sir Sunburst Zenith. “Where did you get this? I thought it was out of print.”

“It wasn’t easy,” Starlight admitted with a smug grin. “But I called in a few favors and got my hooves on it.”

He nodded distractedly, opening the book as he read through the contents. “This brings back so many memories, in the beginning, this was just going to be my thesis, but my teacher liked it so much he made me publish it…wait, how did you know that I wrote this? Did I mention it before?”

“Ah, I told my best friends about our engagement and one of them recognized your name,” Starlight paused and took a sip of her tea, “I didn’t know you were an important wizard.” 

The hoof he was using to turn the pages paused over the tome, he swallowed nervously. “Did they say that?”

“I know you’ve written other books, and you know so much about magic, so that makes you wizard, right?”

He looked at her for a moment, before taking a deep breath and releasing it. “I, huh, the truth is…I’m only a w-wizard in name, I’m not very good at magic.”

“Huh?” Starlight’s surprise made him flinch. “But you know so much about it.”

“I barely managed to graduate from magic school,” he said sadly. “Took a lot of remedial classes and extra lessons just to manage a passing grade…compared to you, who had to work her way to the top, I must look pathetic in your eyes.”

A heavy silence followed his words the longer Starlight search for something to say. He looked so crestfallen, and Starlight just wanted to reach over and grab his hoof in hers, her hoof twitch for a moment but she stopped herself, instead she leaned over and spoke softly but firmly.

“That’s where you’re wrong, Sir Zenith.” Starlight said and continued when he looked up. “Where I am right now it’s mostly thanks to my parent's sacrifice, if I’ve wanted to, I could have done something else, study, travel, or sit back and occupy my days doing nothing but spend my father’s money. I didn’t of course, because I’m a lousy student, I’ve already seen the sites of Equestria by the time I was sixteen, and nothing irks me more than the thought of doing nothing.” She took a sip of her tea before continuing. “But at the end of the day, I went for the easy option, this door has always been open for me. I had to _work_ for it of course, but I never had to _fight_ for it, unlike you. So no, Sir Zenith, I don’t think less of you because you lack magical talent, on the contrary, I think very _highly_ of you because you persevered despite it. Not many ponies can say that myself included.”

She watched his stunned expression, his mouth hanging open slightly and his glasses sliding over his muzzle, he managed to catch them before they slipped off completely and he mumbled. “You think so?”

“Of course,” she said with an eager nod. “You have a right to feel proud of what you accomplished Sir Zenith, you graduated so that means you persevered when others would have given up.”

A small smile appeared on his face, slow and hesitant, but sincere nonetheless. “I…This is the first time someone has told me something like that.”

He looked down at the book in his hooves and his smile grew. He looked inside his cloak and pulled out a quill, turning the book for a blank page and writing something on it. He closed it once he was done but didn’t hand it to her immediately. Instead, his eyes lingered on hers for a moment, simply staring and she felt self-conscious the longer he stared.

“Is something wrong, Sir Zenith?”

“No, it’s just…I want to ask you a favor, as my future wife.”

Starlight steeled herself and nodded, hiding her disappointment when he said the last part. It was either something important or him exercising his power over her as a spouse, whatever the case, as his future bride, there wouldn’t be much she could do to refuse him. She knew it because it been explained to her in the etiquette classes she was forced to attend—when her father announced that she would marry soon—classes that she loathed with every fiber of her free-spirited being. 

“Can you call me Sunburst?” He asked, a blush on his cheeks. “At least when we’re alone like this.”

Starlight froze. “Eh?”

“I never cared much for my title and though this is a marriage of…convenience, for lack of a better term, I don’t want it to be about that moving forward,” he leaned in, “I want us to be equals—friends if possible—but it won’t happen if you keep calling me by my title…I’ve seen it in other marriages among the nobility and those are the coldest relationships that exist, and I don’t want that for us. ” 

Starlight didn’t give much thought to how her marriage would be like. She was aware of what it would bring, but nothing else. Part of her expected that her life would continue like usual, she holed up in her office, him doing…whatever it was that wizards did—Read? Experiment? Stroke their beards as they pondered the mysteries of the universe?—happily ignoring each other as they went on with their lives. Together in name, but apart in everything else.

She’d given up hope of marrying for love like her parents before her, she’d resigned herself to the training she’d been given, thinking that she would be fine as long as she followed it. Until he said those words and she realized how wrong she was. She felt guilty, but at the same time, a warm feeling grew in her chest, untying the knots of anxiety around her heart, feeling hope for the first time since her engagement was announced.

Maybe…maybe there was a chance of happiness with him.

Her heart throbbed and it took her moment to manage a sweet smile that was close to being smitten. “Alright…Sunburst.” She said, enjoying the way his name rolled on her tongue. “Then call me by name too, when we’re alone like this. 

“Starlight,” he said as if trying it out. “I’ll use it wisely.”

Starlight laughed but her curiosity was peaked. “What do you mean?”

“Hmm, well, I was just reminded of a story,” he said with an excited smile. “Back in the really old days, centuries before Starswirl the Bearded was born, most wizards never gave their real names, for they believed that it could be used against them in curses, or if given to a creature like a changeling or a faerie they were entitled to your soul…so it was a sign of trust to give your name to another pony, permission to use it even more so.”

“Is it true? Is there magic like that?” Starlight asked, leaning forward with wide eyes. She always liked a good story.

The Duke—Sunburst, she reminded herself—shook his head. “There are some spells that required the name of the user in other to work…but everything else was superstition.”

Starlight nodded and then leaned back against the cushion of the booth, sighing with defeat. “You’re so thoughtful, I confess I haven’t given this much thought.” She said, motioning at the space between them.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you feel that way,” he said, slightly flustered. “I don’t want to pressure you.”

Starlight giggled and waved the waitress over, ordering some cake and tea for both of them. She came back moments later with two slices of chocolate cake and a fresh pot of hot milk tea. Starlight took a bite of the spongy dessert before speaking.

“So, what does a wizard do exactly?”

Sunburst’s expression lightened up with an excited grin. “Well, wizards do a lot of things, but in my case…”

He proceeded to tell her in great detail about the work that he did. Starlight listened as best as she could—even if some of the terms that he used went over her head—but she was distracted by his excited gestures and smile. He looked younger when he spoked, his eyes lighting up with like a child telling her a story. She managed to smile and nod at the appropriate times, even sneaking a few questions here and there, it didn’t matter how simple her questions were, he would answer them without hesitation or mockery.

Starlight turned when she heard the noise of laughter, realizing just how crowed the restaurant had become. The crowd brought a lot of noise with it, making it harder to continue talking without raising their voices. The decision to leave was unanimous, but deciding who would pay the bill was a little harder. The waitress set the paper on the table and they both reached for it at the same time, turning into a tug war that quickly settled into a stalemate, in the end, they decided to split the cost before going on their way.

“At least let me pay you back,” Starlight argued as they walked down the street.

He shook his head. “I know you have more bits than me, but I’m not that destitute.”

His tone was teasing, but his words still make her flinch as she realized her lack of tack. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to imply…”

“Hey, hey, none of that,” he cut her off, putting a hoof on her shoulder. “Let’s not keep score on who owns what, that’s not what friends do, from now on let’s help each other whenever we can, however we can.” He looked ahead for a moment; his pace slowed to a casual canter. “So ask me for anything, be it my time, my money or knowledge, as long as I have it…I’ll do my best to give it to you.”

They stopped under the shade of a tree. Starlight’s smile morphed into a surprise expression, her mouth forming a perfect ‘o’. She didn’t move an inch as she gazed at him, the wind playing with her hair and touching her skin with its gentleness. Her voice was small but incredulous as she spoked. “Why? Why go to such lengths for a mare you barely know?”

“Because…” he leaned forward, his smile gentle and his eyes clear, her chest tightened at the sight of such openness. “…I’ll be your husband.”

She didn’t know how long they stood there—seconds, minutes, years could have passed and she wouldn’t have noticed—but she eventually managed to take a breath and take a step away from him, breaking eye contact. “You’re such a smooth talker, you know that?”

He blinked, leaning back as he smiled. “I’ve been told that.”

They walked in silence for a while, Starlight leading them towards a park nearby. The sun was warm on their faces, the park quiet and peaceful except for the birds and the wind whispering between the trees, coupled with her full stomach and Starlight was fighting the urge to yawn.

“Ah, I told my friends about our engagement, and they’re very excited to meet you.” She said as an afterthought, walking under the shade of a willow tree.

“Hopefully I make a good impression.”

“As long as you continue to be your charming self you should be fine,” she laughed and patted his shoulder when she spotted his worried expression. “They’re an energetic bunch and can be a little forceful, but they mean well so don’t hold that against them alright?” She said, paused for a moment and continued. “What about your friends? What did they say about…this?”

“They were very surprised, almost insultingly so. My best friend thought I was joking, my other friend just outright laughed in my face, it took me a while to convince them that I was truly getting married.” Sunburst sighed and shook his head. “It was only after I invited them to the engagement party that they finally believed me.”

“Oh dear, I have my work cut out for me then,” she said with a mocking frown. “I’ll have to be extra nice and charming to convince them that I’m real.”

“Of course not, they’ll be convinced as soon as they see you.”

Starlight hummed in agreement. They walked around the edge of the park’s pond, children playing with their toy boats as they pushed them gently in the water, their parents watching from the sidelines. There were couples there too, sitting close to the other, snuggling and whispering sweet nothings to each other, uncaring of the world around them. Starlight sighed and looked ahead; she should be thankful that Sunburst was nice.

“My friends were a little worried, in the beginning,” she said, pausing to look at a bed of red poppies. “They didn’t grow up like you and me, they were born free of expectations, free to choose what they wanted and who they wanted, so they couldn’t understand why I decided to go through with this.” She leaned down and gently touched the closest poppy, playing with the softness of the petals. “I love them dearly, but they don’t understand what it's like to grow with a life already planned for you, so I told them that I was alright with this so they wouldn’t worry…I envy them sometimes, it must be nice to choose your destiny…” she glanced at him, “you understand, don’t you Sunburst?”

He shared the same expression as hers. A sad smile. He understood her situation better than any pony else, having been raised with more or less the same education. Their whole lives had been planned for them from the moment they were born, even if the intentions of their parents had been benevolent, even if they have done it out of love, there was no denying that their right to choose a path for themselves had been taken from them. They thought about all those lessons they took when they were small, all those days spend behind close doors instead of playing and discovering the world for themselves.

All that pressure made Starlight rebelled in her teenage years, but for Sunburst it was the opposite; it made him more withdrawn, reluctant to stand out of his comfort zone, harsher at himself for every mistake that he made. If it hadn’t been for his friends, he would probably still be a hermit, living in his shell of self-deprecation. He probably wouldn’t be here, keeping silent as she poured her heart out, watching as the sun shone in her eyes and hair and made them sparkle like her namesake.

“I knew about our engagement since I was a teenager, when I turned sixteen it was all my mother talked about, she wouldn’t let me forget about it for a second.” He looked up at the sky, his expression blank as he recalled his past. “It made me scared, so I ran away from it for the longest time until mother threatened to cut me off if I didn’t show for the…interview, but then I saw you and you were nothing like I imagined.”

Starlight chuckled. “I hope that’s a compliment Sunburst.”

“It is,” he said and finally looked at her. “Because it made me realized that I wasn’t the only one with fears and doubts…that we were in this together, whether we liked it or not.”

Sunburst faced her with a gentle smile, his eyes lowered towards her hooves and he extended his own, looking back into her eyes. “May I?” 

She nodded and placed her hoof in his.

“Starlight, I know this marriage was chosen for us, that is not based on love and that we barely know each other, however…” he looked at her with mild determination in his eyes. “…we’re in this boat together, so I hope we can get along well.”

“Sunburst…”

“And who knows,” he said suddenly, a blush on his cheeks to compliment his boyish grin. “Maybe you will fall in love with me in the long run.”

She spluttered and snatch her hoof back with a blush. “Easy there! Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

He laughed and she smiled despite her nerves. This stallion…such a confusing creature. It will be hard not to feel and care for him, but love? Only time would tell. 

He walked her home as the sun disappeared behind the horizon, the pale moon taking its place. It shone brightly but it wasn’t enough to illuminate the city, so one by one, the street lamps were lit and shone on their way to Starlight’s home.

“Are you sure you’ll be fine?” Starlight asked as they approached her street. “Do you know the way back to your inn? I can tell one of the servants to escort you back.”

“I’ll be fine Starlight,” he said easily as they turned the corner. “This town isn’t very big; I’ll find my way.”

Starlight spotted her house first. The lights were on as was the light on the main entrance, waiting for her to return. She stopped in front of the steps, looking up at the door with hesitation. She didn’t want to enter just yet, no pony was waiting for her, nothing except the mountains of paperwork and a mostly empty house. For a moment she contemplated inviting him in, for a cup of coffee or dinner or whatever excuse she could come up with, but she didn’t. If the neighbors saw a stallion entering her home this late, even if he was her fiancé, it would spark rumors and controversy she didn’t want to deal with.

She turned to face him and smiled. “I had a wonderful time Sunburst, same time tomorrow?”

“Count on it.”

She walked reluctantly up the stairs but he stopped her. “Ah, Starlight wait!”

He rummaged into the pockets of his cloak and pulled out a little red book. “Here, I forgot to give you this earlier.”

“You fiend, you just wanted this for yourself.” She said mockingly and took the signed book with her magic, holding it against her chest. “After all the work I put into finding it.”

“And disappoint my number one fan? Never!”

They laughed and smiled at each other, it looked like he wanted to say more as he gazed up at her, standing at the upper landing of the stairs under the warm light of the porch lamp, but all he did was bow politely.

“Goodnight, Starlight.”

Starlight returned the gesture with a graceful curtsy. “Goodnight, Sunburst.”

She watched him walked down the street, in the direction to the Inn much to her chagrin, until he disappeared behind the corner. He’d been right, he didn’t need her help getting back.

Sighing she turned the knob of her door and entered the parlor, gazing at the book in her hooves distractedly, but it slipped for a moment and as she scrambled to catch it, she heard something small and hard falling to the floor. She looked down and saw a bunch of golden coins glinting back at her, one even rolled towards her hoof before falling to its side. Opening the book fully made more coins fall to the floor in front of her, but she was distracted by the inscription inside.

> _For Starlight, may our future overcome the confines of our relationship. _

“That fiend!” she said angrily, but her smile said otherwise. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told myself I wasn't going to continue this...but I'm also a big fat liar.


	3. and the rest was the least

Starlight looked into the mirror, tying the black choker into a neat bow behind her neck. She turned her back to the looking glass and frown when the bow didn’t come as neatly as it should, she sighed, untied it and tried again.

Murmurs came to her from behind the closed door, punctuated slightly by the shrill voice of Stellar Flare giving orders to her staff. Sunburst had been right, as soon as she arrived there hadn’t been peace for the both of them. She took charged of everything the moment she stepped into Starlight’s front door and getting in her way was like standing in front of a freight train…though Starlight would’ve rather take her chances against the train than her future mother-in-law.

Sunburst’s mother swept in with various lists that—when combined—could cover the width of Shire’s Town and then some. Her plans included turning the intimate dinner with friends and family into a full-on event, inviting every creature that had so much as known the future couple in passing. Starlight spent a hard time persuading the older mare in toning down her plans, it took every ounce of restraint and manners cultivated from years of working in her profession so as not to jump on her mother-in-law and strangle her.

She was proud to say she only raised her voice six times while discussing the changes.

Sunburst tried to help, standing up to his mother when she took things too far. It was a valiant effort, but a futile one in the end, for Stellar Flare had an easier time brushing her son off than she did brushing Starlight, who was used to dealing with bull-headed ponies. 

They reached a compromise in the end—neither happy about it, but it was a compromise. It wasn’t going to be the extravagant event that Stellar Flare wanted, nor the quiet dinner Starlight had envisioned, but a strange mixture of both. The first half of the evening being the tranquil dinner with the closest friends and relatives of the couple, followed by music and dancing—in which the rest of the guests would arrive—though it wouldn’t extend further beyond two in the morning. 

The mare sighed as she took in her reflection. Zephyr had outdone himself, and yet again reminded her why she kept him on her payroll. Her mane was done in an elaborate style when she would rather have let it loose, but the pegasus insisted that it was the style nowadays and it would be ‘social suicide’ to style it any other way. Her hair looked beautiful, and it was impossible to tell that it was held together with numerous, hidden pins and product so not a single hair looked out of place.

She heard hooves approaching her door, along with a voice she knew well, asking where she was. Starlight rolled her shoulders and kept her expression pleasant and neutral when she heard a knock on her door.

“Come in!” she called out and the door swung opened behind her. Glancing at her father from the corner of her eye, she tied the pesky choker in place. “Hey dad, is it time yet?”

Her father stood there for a moment, his hoof on the handle of the door, staring at her with wide eyes as a smile grew on his face. “Oh my gosh, look at you!” He gushed and stepped into the room. “My little silly filly, all grown up.”

“Dad, you promised, no more ‘silly filly’,” she said, slightly exasperated.

“I know, I know, it’s just,” he stopped himself by clearing his throat and Starlight turned just in time to see his eyes fill with tears. “It seems like yesterday when you were just a bundle of blankets in my hooves, and now here you are, a grown lady.”

Starlight smiled patiently and stood, patting his shoulder in mock sympathy while he sniffled. “Dad, you knew this day was coming.”

“It doesn’t make it any easier though,” he explained and pulled out a handkerchief from the pocket of his suit, dabbing his eyes with it.

The mare nodded along, glancing on the clock just to make sure she had enough time to deal with her father’s theatrics. “Again—this was all your idea, if any pony should be in hysterics it should be me, but fortunately for you, I’m saving it all for the wedding.”

Firelight kept quiet and Starlight thought that was the end of that, but one look into his brown eyes told her otherwise. His expression was serious as he considered her, and for a moment she felt like she was ten years old again, waiting for him to explain something very delicate and important in a way she could understand. 

“Starlight, how has Sir Zenith treated you so far?”

Caught off guard, Starlight stared at the older stallion with wide eyes. “What do you mean?”

“If he has made you uncomfortable in some way, or has acted in any way that wasn’t that of a gentle colt, tell me straight away and I will deal with him.”

Looking at her father’s serious expression didn’t ease her confusion, but at the same time, she was touched by his words. Knowing that he was still looking out for her—even if she was technically independent of him—reminded her that she was still loved and cared for. 

“Thank you, dad, but Sir Zenith hasn’t done a single thing that would make me question his character, and if he had…well, you know that I’m not the type to keep it quiet or let it go unaddressed.”

Firelight showed a hint of a smile. His daughter’s strong character and temper meant she wasn’t a mare to be messed with, recalling the times she had gotten into trouble by punching and kicking her fellow playmates when they played mean pranks on her. With time, she learned to channel her fierceness into her work, making her a renowned merchant with her sharp wit and tongue that would carry his legacy once he was retired. 

If something had happened in the garden all those weeks ago, something that Starlight wasn’t comfortable with, Sir Zenith wouldn’t have returned unharmed from it.

Firelight sighed. “Alright, that’s good to hear…but promise me to tell me if something happens.”

“Dad, you’re being awfully cryptic right now,” Starlight said with a frown. “What’s going on? Why the sudden mistrust on Sir Zenith’s character?”

Her father avoided her eyes for a moment, beholding the collection of trinkets and kites hanging from her walls and shelves, before turning back to her and embracing her in a sudden hug.

Starlight tensed in his embrace before relaxing, laying her head on his shoulder and neck, catching a whiff of his familiar scent. He was still taller than her, always had been bigger than her, though it took her by surprise how they were suddenly on eye level with one another. She recalled a time when he looked so tall and imposing, running underneath his hooves while he worked, the ease in which he lifted her up in his magic and placed her on his back, having to crane her neck to look at his expression properly. It startled her when she realized that wasn’t the case anymore.

He let her go and she studied his face, noticing the crow’s feet in his eyes, the wrinkles around his mouth and the grey hairs on his mane. Since when he’d gotten so old?

“I’m sorry for worrying you,” he said, blinking back tears and smiling at his only daughter. “There’s nothing wrong with Sir Zenith, and if you say he’s been nothing but kind to you then I believe you, I guess I was just worried…you’re taking this better than I expected—I thought you would have me break the engagement as soon as we left the Duchess manor, but you didn’t, so I thought he was persuading you somehow and feared the worst.”

Starlight laughed. She couldn’t help it—it was so like her dad to blow things out of proportion at the last minute. She should’ve seen this coming in hindsight, and yet she allowed herself to be caught up in his drama, she felt the weight of her earlier worries fall off her like heavy saddlebags. 

“Oh Dad,” she said with a shake of her head, still giggling. “I’m _fine, _Sir Zenith is a wond—huh, he is kind towards me and wants to get to know me better.” She felt the heat rise to her cheeks and hoped the purple of her coat would cover it. “I think I’m going to be alright.”

Firelight relaxed. He was still worried of course—and he would always be worried for his child, no matter how much she grew and proved she could take care of herself—but for the time being, he ignored his anxiety and told himself to trust his daughter. She was more capable of looking out for herself than he gave her credit for.

“Alright,” he said simply, then glancing at the clock on the wall, he offered his hoof. “Should we go then? It’s nearly time for the guests to arrive.”

With a grin, she took his hoof and they walked out of her room, allowing herself to be escorted to the first floor of the house like a lady. They were nearly at the stairs when a thought occurred to her, and she blurted out her question before she let herself second guess her worries.

“Dad?” she asked as they walked down the hall, her voice lowered so others wouldn’t overhear. “Would you have done it if I asked? Break the engagement, I mean.”

“Of course,” Firelight said without any hesitation. “You’re my daughter, and I want you to be happy, the only reason I’m doing this is because it was what your mother would’ve wanted…but even she wouldn’t have forced you in to this, if it made you unhappy in anyway.”

Relief washed over her, and she felt lighter than a kite soaring through the sky, the only thing keeping her grounded was her father’s steady hold on her hoof. She didn’t bother to hide her elation and Firelight watched her from the corner of his eyes, smiling proudly and pushing a pressing worry to the back of his mind.

After all, this was her day. He didn’t want to dampen her day with stories of the past.

* * *

A very disgruntled carriage pony pulled in front of Starlight’s home. When he came to a stop the door of the carriage burst open and two mares stepped out. The first one did so clumsily, nearly tripping in her lavender dress, followed closely by the other, her simple dark green dress was much easier to move around in.

While Trixie smoothed out the wrinkles in her gown, Maud wasted no time in paying the disgruntled driver, knowing that if she let Trixie do it, they would be even tardier than they already were. The driver took one look at Maud’s cool stare and decided not to pick a fight with her, simply taking the money offered before speeding in the opposite direction.

“Alright,” Trixie said once she was satisfied with the way her dress looked. “If we hurry, maybe she won’t be too mad at us.”

Maud kept quiet as they walked up the steps to Starlight’s house, with Trixie in the lead. They stood in front of the door, but instead of knocking Trixie turned towards Maud and said in a low voice. “Remember Maud, keep your guard up and listen closely to what he says, I’ll shake him up a bit and see how he reacts.”

Maud blinked slowly. “Is that the best plan you could come up with?”

“Unless you got a rock that can tell us the truth, this is the best plan we got.”

“Back on the rock farm, we do have this stone—”

Trixie caught her off by ringing the bell. Maud’s frown deepened just a little, but it was enough to make her appear more menacing than usual.

The door opened and they were greeted by their best friend, dressed in a turquoise dress with teal accents, her hair braided in an elaborate style with dark green ribbons interwoven into her braid. She smiled widely when she saw her two best friends and wasted no time in greeting them. 

“Trixie! Maud! You made it!”

“Of course I made it! Wouldn’t miss this for the world!” Trixie said and pulled her best friend in a hug.

Starlight laughed, then turned to Maud and pulled the serious pony into a tight hug. Maud didn’t return the gesture, but she stayed still until her friend had enough and let got, for a pony like Maud that was the equivalent of hugging back.

“Sorry we’re late,” Maud said once she regained her breath, Starlight was a very determined hugger. “Trixie took too long getting ready, then she forgot her coin purse and we had to go back and get it, and then she also got into a fight with the carriage pony.”

“He was asking for it!” Trixie huffed, shaking her mane haughtily to the side. “Charging us thirty bits to get here from the hotel, he was crazy!” 

“That’s alright,” Starlight said in a placating manner. “The important thing is that you guys are here.”

She motioned for them to come in and the trio stepped into the parlor. Trixie talked loudly, with Starlight occasionally chiming in and Maud kept silent. Trixie’s earlier fears of Starlight being angry were unfounded—in fact, she seemed even more energetic than usual. Starlight couldn’t stop smiling, but the gesture wasn’t false or placating, it was a genuine smile. She stomped her hooves slightly against the hardwood, trying to hurry Trixie along as she complained about the taxi driver like she was eager to get back inside. Maud blinked and smiled, willing to bet her rock farm that they weren’t the reason why their friend was so happy, but she dropped it when she noticed an older mare approaching the trio, thanks to this she didn’t jump with surprise when she called out, unlike Trixie and Starlight.

“Starlight!” the duchess said, approaching her as quickly as her light blue dress allowed her. “There you are! What are you doing answering the door? Sweetie, you have to let the help do its job.”

Starlight’s eyelid twitched—her mouth pressed in a tight line so as not to let her honest thoughts through. She took a deep breath and cut off her mother-in-law in a firm but polite tone. “Stellar Flare, these are my friends: Trixie Lulamoon and Maud Pie. Trixie, Maud, this is Duchess Stellar Flare.”

The two mares bowed and Stellar Flare nodded in acknowledgment. “A pleasure,” she said curtly before pasting on a big smile that Trixie instantly didn’t like. “Well then, let’s not stand here, come on in! Dinner is about to start and we can all talk more comfortably.”

She turned on her heel and marched inside, talking all the while. The trio followed behind her but didn’t listen, instead choosing to talk among themselves in low tones—though the volume Stellar Flare spoked would’ve drowned out their voices, even if they spoked normally. 

“I’m really sorry we’re late,” Trixie said sincerely, moving closer towards her friend as they walked. “If I’ve known what kind of the company you had tonight, I would’ve made Maud hurry up.” Maud gave Trixie a blank stare. Trixie felt a shiver up her spine and corrected her statement. “Er, I mean, I would’ve come sooner...and moved Maud along as well.”

Starlight sighed. “Thanks, girls, the important thing is that you’re here, that alone makes the night more bearable…besides, she’s not so bad once her focus is away from me.”

As in cue, Stellar Flare’s head snapped towards the right, and she marched away from the trio and berated a servant about something. Taking her chance Starlight motioned her friends to follow her in the opposite direction.

“This way, I would like to introduce you to Sun—Sir Zenith and his friends.”

Maud and Trixie followed her, exchanging serious looks between them once Starlight’s back was turned. They cared for Starlight and respected her choices, but they were also worried for her, that their stubborn friend would accept such a marriage without a fight made them apprehensive. Trixie believed that this fiancé was forcing her friend into this, while Maud…well, Maud just wanted to see how it all ended—but was willing to help if Trixie’s fears were founded.

Starlight led them towards the living room. The furniture had been moved to the sides of the wall and more chairs were brought in for the guests, most of which were gathered in loose circles and talking amongst themselves, sometimes laughing loudly or speaking passionately about something. Starlight ignored most of the guests, only waving and smiling back when they called out to her and moved forward while turning her head in search of a pony in particular.

But that pony found her first. “Lady Glimmer, over here!”

The instant change in Starlight’s mood wasn’t lost on her friends, like a switch had been turned on Starlight smiled brightly and walked with an extra skip in her step. Maud’s face didn’t lose its coolness and Trixie struggled to imitate her—with mix results—looking more like she was holding in a sneeze than actually being serious. Trixie never quite learned to master the art of the poker face, despite her profession as a stage mare.

Starlight walked over towards a group of three stallions, which opened up their circle to let her in without any fuss. They all looked to be around the same age and dressed in a similar fashion, but each stallion couldn’t be more different. The mares didn’t have time to look at each stallion, except to notice the obvious—like the tallest and the strongest was a pegasus, while the other two were unicorns—and didn’t care to look further beyond that when Starlight approached one of the unicorns and said with a smile.

“Sir Zenith, these are my friends: Trixie Lulamoon and Maud Pied; girls, this is Sir Sunburst Zenith my f-fiancé.”

The girls bowed with a quick motion and immediately fixed their eyes on the stallion, studying his every move that would justify their fears. Their unabashed starring didn’t go unnoticed by Sunburst and the others, the other two males exchanged looks and snickered, while Starlight resisted the urge to groan in order to save face. Sunburst cleared his throat and put on a friendly smile.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you both,” Sunburst said and nodded to the both of them. “Starlight told me a lot about you.”

“Silverstream told us you’re a famous wizard,” Maud said in her usual monotone. It was hard to tell if she approved of Sunburst or not.

Sunburst opened his mouth but was interrupted when the two males present couldn’t hold their chortles again, catching the attention of the group.

“Oh, he’s famous alright, he just won’t admit it!” Said the pegasus, prodding Sunburst’s shoulder with his elbow. “Come on friend, it’s alright to brag once in a while!”

“Speak for yourself,” the other unicorn said, shoving the pegasus playfully to the side. “He’s not the one who will be guarding the Crown next month, just another scholar like me.”

“C’mon, Stygian we’re trying to make Sunburst look good,” the pegasus mock whispered, using his wing to cover his mouth comically.

The girls giggled, while Sunburst just sighed and rolled his eyes. The pegasus dropped his wing and bowed respectfully.

“The name’s Flash Sentry and the gloomy pony next to me is Stygian Shadows, we’ve known Sunburst since our days at the Academy.”

The unicorn bowed and smiled. Stygian was smaller and thinner than most of the pony’s present, with dark blue hair and gray coat, he would’ve looked young is it weren’t for the sharpness of his face that marked him as an adult. Despite his grim name, his blue eyes were clear and his smile friendly enough to make him approachable.

Flash Sentry was the complete opposite of Stygian. He was taller and the most physically fit in their group (aside from Maud), his coat a lighter shade of yellow than Sunburst, making him stand out like a yellow traffic light. His hair and the tip of his wings were blue, contrasting sharply with the yellow of his body. Flash Sentry was, without doubt, the most approachable of the two, his smile welcoming but boyish while Stygian’s still had a nervous edge to his expression and overall demeanor. Despite their obvious differences, the friendship between the trio was evident. 

“The Academy?” Trixie said, rubbing her hoof under her chin looking at Sunburst questionably. “I thought you went to Magic School.”

“I did,” Sunburst explained. “What Flash is talking about is a network of schools in Canterlot, which share pretty much the same curriculum except for a few special classes that each school specializes in, like advance magic for unicorns, flying for pegasi and science for earth ponies. Since they are so closely tied together everyone just calls it the Academy.”

“Flash and I had the same classes during those years, sometimes he would volunteer as a test subject for magic theory,” Stygian spoked up, though his voice still had a gentle quality to it. “And Sunburst was my magic lab partner, the best one a magic student could ask for, he always did his part of the presentation.”

“Only because your writing is atrocious,” Sunburst said with a grin.

“Wait a minute, volunteer? Is that what you called what you two lunatics made me do?”

“Unsuspecting test subject was too long and would’ve put our research under scrutiny,” Stygian said, hiding his smile by taking a sip of his drink. “Either way, I didn’t hear you complaining.”

“Just because I needed the extra credit.” The pegasus huffed and smiled at Starlight. “At least Lady Glimmer here is marrying the most grounded of the two.” 

Starlight laughed looking a Sunburst from the corner of her eye. Sunburst smiled awkwardly and looked away, hiding his blush from her.

A maid appeared and urged the guests gently into the dining room. Starlight’s heart jumped in her chest, a sudden wave of nervousness hitting her as she followed the small crowd into the spacious dining room. This was it, she thought, after tonight she would officially be engaged to Sunburst in the eyes of society, taken, off the market, no backing out…at least until the wedding.

Her father sat on the head of the table; Starlight sat on his left while Stellar Flare took the chair on his right. Sunburst sat on the chair next to her and the significance wasn’t lost on the rest of the guest, most of them were business partners and close friends of their parents. Starlight was sure that every creature present knew what was coming next—news like this was rarely kept quiet—and she felt their gazes on them, heavy with expectation. She did her best to ignore them and focus on the food being served before her.

The dinner went by, and Starlight could hardly taste what she was eating, her spoon shook a little in her magical grasp. She was quiet, so much so that Sunburst noticed, giving her concern looks every once in a while, Starlight tried to smile to reassure him, but it was a shaky expression and she dropped it the moment he looked away, her nerves getting the best of her.

Starlight was alright with being the center of attention, though this time was different. She didn’t have control over her audience or a prepared speech to guide them where she wants them, she was just sitting there while every creature gawked at her from the corner of their eyes. And again, she wouldn’t have cared, except that she recognized one of the guests that Stellar had invited.

Sitting across the table but further down from her was Fancy Pants. A socialite pony like Stellar, except that he had more influence and connections than her mother-in-law could only dream off. Starlight couldn’t believe that he was here, even if Stellar had invited him, she couldn’t fathom why he would be interested in her engagement. The unicorn was too far away to engage in conversation, so she kept an eye on him for the rest of the dinner, it was the least she could do until she could approach him and figure out his motives. 

She looked up when she heard the deliberate clinking of glass from her right, so did every creature else, the sound of conversation dying out until there was only silence.

“Hello every creature, first I would like to thank you for coming all this way and making time for this occasion, which is very special indeed,” Firelight said, he picked up his wine glass higher. “I’m pleased to announce that my daughter, Starlight Glimmer, is happily engaged to Sir Sunburst Zenith and will be officially wed in the spring of the coming year.”

The room erupted in polite applause, the hooves of every creature present stomping the ground and making noise. Sunburst stood, followed by Starlight, and they nodded and smiled to those present, her eyes lingered on Fancy Pants but he only smiled civilly in return, forcing her to sit down and look away.

“A toast! For my daughter and her fiancé! May their futures be filled with happy and rewarding days!”

“And children!” Stellar Flare quipped, making the guest laughed. Sunburst and Starlight laughed too, but Starlight was awkward, while Sunburst was sarcastic, his eyelid twitching as he glared at his mother. 

They all raised their glasses and cheered before drinking, the dinner continuing with a little more enthusiasm than before, now that the open secret was finally acknowledged. It was around this time that the rest of the guest arrived and the music started, much to Stellar Flare’s delight. Caught up in the motion Starlight moved with the rest of the guests into the ballroom, receiving congratulations and well wishes from the guest as she walked.

The music started picking up and a sizeable group of guests moved to the dancefloor, and the dancing began, followed by loud conversation and laugher. She met up with Trixie and Maud, who hugged her and invited her to dance, which Starlight readily agreed. Soon the trio was in the middle of the dancefloor, the wine humming in their veins, the atmosphere more intoxicating than the drink, and their earlier worries forgotten in favor of moving with the crowd and the music.

Standing on the edge of it, Sunburst watched her. Unlike his fiancée, he definitely couldn’t handle being the center of attention and he knew for a fact that his dancing left a lot to be desired, so he couldn’t join her in the dancefloor without making a fool of himself. Even the passing congratulations he received as he stood there were enough to put him on edge, so he was more than relieved when he spotted his two best friends approaching him.

“Well, my bookworm friend, I guess congratulations are in order,” Flash said with an easy smile. “I can’t believe that, out of the three of us, you would be the first to marry.”

“Trust me, I’m just as surprised.”

Stygian walked forward and spoke in a low voice. “Now that the announcement is official, will you tell us what actually is going on?”

Flash looked at the shorter unicorn with confusion, Sunburst didn’t meet his friends' gaze.

“What are you talking about Stygian?” Flash asked when Sunburst kept silent.

“I know you didn’t meet her at the Academy like you said,” Stygian said, his voice low but cutting. “I checked the yearbooks and her name doesn’t appear.”

Sunburst took a sip of his drink, downing the contents in one long sip, before answering. “She didn’t attend the Academy, which is a shame because she’s a talented spell caster, but I do know her for a long time. Besides she read Houyhnhnm’s Guide to Magical Arcana and called it a classic.”

“Oh, yeah, that would do it for you.”

“Long enough to court her, get her father’s blessing and propose? Forgive me, but I find it hard to believe when you hardly left the walls of the Academy,” Stygian countered, his expression hard as he gazed at his longtime friend. “In fact, I don’t believe it, I’m betting that all this is one of your mother’s crazy schemes to marry you off to the next rich, spoiled, bratty girl that comes your way—”

“Enough Stygian,” Sunburst said, his voice had a hard edge to it. “You can call me whatever you want, but don’t drag Miss Glimmer into this, I won’t tolerate you badmouthing my fiancé.” 

“Then be honest with us, is this one of your mother’s schemes or not?”

The group was silent despite the loud music and laughter that surrounded them at all sides. Flash Sentry starred between his two best friends, his head whipping from left to right like he witnessing a tense game of buckball, and not knowing what team he should be rooting for. Sunburst and Stygian kept glaring at the other, waiting to see who would be the first to crack under the pressure.

A laugh broke through Sunburst's stormy thoughts and he turned to see, easily spotting Starlight in the crowd enjoying her time with her friends. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were sparkling with mirth, her smile was wide and it made her eyes crinkle on the edges. He didn’t want to look away, but her smile gave him the strength to push away from his doubts. 

“…It started like one.” Sunburst admitted his steely gaze on his friend. “When mother called me back to the manor, all I could think about was of ways to get out of it. I was prepared to be the most unpleasant pony to be around, just to send Miss Glimmer packing and ruin my mother’s plans, anything to be left alone as I wanted…but when I saw her and got to know her, all I could think of was ways to make her _stay._”

When his friends remained quiet, he continued. “I know it sounds illogical, especially to you, Stygian—you’ve always been the pragmatic—and when she left, I was thinking the same way. I thought I was seeing things out of loneliness and desperation, so I came here before my mother. I wanted to see who she was without our parents meddling, who she was when her guard was down, and it worked, my opinion of her changed, she is…just so…you know…”

Sunburst fell silent—not because he wanted to—it was suddenly hard to put the emotions he was looking for into words, words that would convince his hardheaded friend to see what he saw in Starlight. How does one explain love to someone who never felt it before? Why her? Why not any of the other mares that flirted with him back in the Academy, who technically had more in common with him than Starlight? What he felt for those mares and their advances couldn’t compare to the emotions she evoked in him.

It honestly scared him sometimes, no matter how many times he tried to rationalize it, his heart refused to let Starlight go. 

“What do you think of Miss Glimmer?” Flash prompted, breaking the silence. 

“I think…I think she’s beautiful.”

“Only that?” Stygian said, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

“And she’s smart and funny and honest and…” he trailed off and shook his head. “She’s so many things, and yet I feel like I’m only scratching the surface.”

Stygian took a sip of his drink, letting the music of the room fill the silence in between. He turned his gaze towards the dancefloor, Starlight was no longer dancing, but talking to an older pair of ponies and smiling politely to whatever they were saying to her. In his eyes, she was pretty, but not much else. He turned his gaze back to his friend and saw that Sunburst wasn’t paying attention to them yet again. It looked like he was a step away from running to his fiancée’s side, the look on his face explaining more than his words ever could. 

“…I see,” Stygian conceded, catching the group by surprise when Stygian bowed slightly. “I’m sorry for being hard on you, Sunburst. I’m happy that this arrangement is working out for you, truly I am, I’m just miffed you didn’t tell us sooner.”

Sunburst’s earlier anger disappeared, he could never stay angry with his friends for long, especially when they apologize. “I’m sorry guys, I shouldn’t have kept this from you only to drop this bomb at the last minute, I guess I got caught in the everything that I left you guys on the wayside and expected things to be the same…and that’s not fair to you.”

“There, there, it’s fine Sunburst, Stygian is just being a stuck-up asshole as always.” Flash smiled and wrapped his wings around both his friends, drawing them into a group hug.

“Hey!” Stygian said, pushing his friend away. “I was just being the rational one! You were just as worried!”

“Of course I was! But I was waiting for Sunburst to speak up, and I wasn’t being a jerk about it, big difference.”

Flash let them go and Stygian sighed, excusing himself when he saw a group of ponies that he recognized and wanted to speak too, but before he left, he turned around and pointed at Sunburst. “Don’t think you’re off the hook yet, you owe us a proper explanation.”

Sunburst waved and nodded. “I’ll tell you properly at our next lunch.”

Stygian smiled and walked off, looking more cheerful than he had the entire evening, leaving his two friends alone for the moment. 

“Sunburst,” Flash said in a low but serious voice, so only Sunburst could hear. “Are you sure about this? It’s fine and dandy that you like her, but what about her? Does she like you just as much?”

Sunburst was quiet for a moment before he answered. “…maybe not as much, but I know that there’s a possibility for feelings to grow, and for me, that’s enough for now.”

“Enough to marry her?”

He just smiled at his pegasus friend and asked back. “What do you think?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since there's so little content of this pairing, let's make it extra fluffy and cheesy shall we? q(≧▽≦q) Though this chapter isn't as fluffy as the others, oh well... Hope you enjoyed! There's more to come, hopefully.


	4. perfect from a distance

The train came to a stop with a lurch and a squeal of metal that echoed across the Crystal Empire’s Terminal. The engines let out their steam just as the doors of each compartment were opened and streams of passengers walked out to the platform.

Starlight was one of them, blending almost perfectly with the rest of the colorful crowd, except for the extra layers of warm clothing that she wore. She tugged on her turquoise scarf, gazing at the crystal ceiling that covered the terminal with a frown. The terminal was warm, but she saw the threat of snow from the dark grey clouds above. Summer was at its end, and though Shire’s Town was still warm and pleasant like the rest of Equestria, the cold came sooner in places this far north and close to the mountains. She never cared for the cold and the snow, that’s why she rarely ventured to the north during this time of the year, there seldom was a reason to do so, until recently. 

Starlight smiled and squared her shoulders, walking out the main doors with a determined step, she kept it up despite the cold wind hitting her face like a slap as she walked through the crystalline streets. The more she walked, the more she got used to the cold, and it helped that she was partially distracted by warmer thoughts—Starlight focused on that as she strolled the cold but cheerful streets of the Empire.

Thinking of the engagement party, even though it had been a week ago, was enough to lift her spirit’s and she walked to her destination with an extra spring to her step. The party had been a success and all those present gave her and Sunburst their best wishes, even Trixie had given her approval, something that relieved her so much that the memory was enough to make her grin as she crossed the street.

“He’s alright,” Trixie said when Starlight asked her. “I think, we need to sit down with him and grill him for answers, but…for the most part, he seems like a decent fellow and the way his friend treat him speaks volumes of his character: if he were a jerk, he wouldn’t have friends like that.”

“I think he’s really nice!” Silverstream said, jumping slightly with her enthusiasm. “I’m glad you found each other.”

She turned to look at Maud and the mare just smiled, nodding along with Trixie’s explanation. And just for that, she was glad that Stellar decided to hire musicians for the party, the loud music covered her delighted laughter as she embraced her friends. But even the music couldn’t compete to the sound of their laughter when the trio met up with Sunburst group again, the earlier awkwardness had vanished and the seven of them were laughing and talking up a storm. Especially Flash and Trixie, who seem that they couldn’t bear the thought of being upstaged by the other, so their exchange escalated to the point that had Stygian clutching his sides with laughter, and even Maud let out a chuckle or two.

Sunburst and Starlight stood close together and were rarely apart for the rest of the night, even going as far as sharing a dance. It was a slow one, their movements more akin to gentle swaying than actual dancing, which suited Starlight just fine, she was tired and Sunburst’s shoulder proved to be an excellent pillow, the hoof on her waist a comfortable anchor as they spin gently across the dancefloor. If there were a spell that would freeze this moment for all eternity, she would have cast it without a second thought.

“It seems like its time you went to bed,” Sunburst said, the vibrations of his voice rumbling pleasantly across her body.

“Only if you join me.” It took her moment to process what she said, but when she did, her face felt like it was on fire and she was more awake than ever before. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry! I don’t know what came over me! It must have been the wine…”

Sunburst chuckled, but they were standing close enough that there was nowhere for him to hide his blush. “It’s fine, Starlight.”

Starlight stood straighter, creating some distance between them as they danced without stepping out of his embrace entirely. Sunburst swallowed down his disappointment.

“I’m happy you got to meet my friends,” she said, nodding her head in their general direction. “They like you.”

Sunburst sighed with mock relief. “Praise Celestia, I would hate to keep you away from your love ones.”

“Ha, I would like to see you try.” Starlight said with a roll of her eyes but smiled. “And what about you? Do they still think I’m a figment of your imagination?”

“Oh, on the contrary,” he twirled her gently in time with the music, “now they’re wondering if they’re the ones imagining all this or you’re just some paid actress.”

Starlight giggled, looking up to his face with a smile and joke at the tip of her tongue, which she dropped when she noticed his serious expression. “Is something wrong? Do your friends not approve of me?”

“No, they like you just fine!” He said, shaking his head in denial and as a way to clear his head. “It’s just…remember when I said I didn’t want our relationship to start on letters? I’m afraid we will have to start those soon since I’ll be leaving for the Crystal Empire in the morning.”

“So soon?” she said, her eyes wide with surprise. “But you just got here, I thought you would stay a little longer…”

“And I want to, but I put off my work for much too long now and it’s starting to cause some problems back in the Empire.”

Starlight looked away, a sense of annoyance bubbling to the surface and, just as the feeling appeared, it was replaced by guilt for acting so childish. They both had a life before their parents decided to forcibly bring them together, she also had a mountain of work that she been putting aside for this party—and him. It was time to go back to it, something she wasn’t looking forward too. 

“Duty calls, huh?” Starlight said jokingly, trying to clear away the leftover sadness. “It must be something very important if they’re calling you back so soon.”

“Well, it’s not so much that it’s important, more like we’re very short on staff at the moment.” When he saw her skeptical look, he elaborated. “I’m one of the lead translators working in the Crystal Empire since it’s been buried under ice and snow for almost five thousand years there’s a lot of history to uncover, the Empire’s library especially, it’s very old and a treasure trove of historic texts, but since most of their archive is written in old Ponish very few ponies can read it. My job is to translate it and send a copy to both Canterlot and the Empire for future consultation before the original is taken away for preservation.”

Starlight nodded, impressed. “That sounds like a lot of work, but why are they calling for you to come back? Aren’t there other translators to cover for you?”

“Yes, only one, and she has enough on her plate as it is.”

The song they were dancing to ended, and they both walked to the edge of the dancefloor in an unhurried canter. Sunburst’s imminent departure made them reluctant to leave the other, and it rose some doubts in Starlight in how they would make this work. One of them would have to uproot themselves from their established lifestyle to move in with the other, and she was willing to bet her kite collection that it would have to be her, she could work from anywhere—one of the advantages of being the boss in her company—however, there were a lot of things to consider… 

She shook her head; she was getting ahead of herself. The music that played in the room kept her from hearing what those around her were saying, and she figured that it worked both ways, the remaining guests weren’t paying them attention and it gave her the courage to smile, wanting to ease the frown that wrinkled his brow. 

“You know, I haven’t been to the Crystal Empire for a while now,” Starlight said with slight mock thoughtfulness. “Which isn’t good, since there’s a branch of the company there that I need to check…I was thinking of going there sometime next week.”

The little office in the Crystal Empire was one of the first her father founded; it was one of the few he still directly supervised so she rarely bothered with it. But the little lie was worth it to see his smile, the way his eyes widen and then crinkled at the edges as he nodded.

“That is great! Write to me as soon as you board the train and I will pick you up there!”

“If it doesn’t interfere with your work…”

“Starlight, what did I say?” Sunburst said with a raised eyebrow. “You can ask me for anything.”

“That doesn’t mean I want to take advantage of you,” Starlight said with a shake of her head and continued. “I’ll write to you once I’m ready to go, and you can pick me up only—and I mean _only_—if it doesn’t interfere with your work.”

Sunburst sighed and nodded. “Alright, but my offer still stands, if you need—”

“Anything I’ll ask you its okay Sunburst, I can handle myself for a few hours in the Empire.”

Now Starlight was regretting those words. 

It had been some time since she set hoof in the Crystal Empire and some things had changed since her last visit: there were more shops and ponies along the streets, forcing her to sidestep them unless she is swept by the crowd. She walked somewhat aimlessly along the avenue, going by a vague sense of direction with a frown on her face. Using the towering castle of the Empire as a guide, a structure so tall that it could be seen from any point in the city, she walked in the direction she thought the company’s office was. If worse came to worse, she could make her way to the main plaza and back to the station. But only to try again, because she was sure the office was on this street.

She didn’t want to be dependent on Sunburst, especially on something so simple as getting to her workplace, her pride wouldn’t let her ask for his help. He was busy with his work and she didn’t want to interrupt him, not when they already made plans to meet later that day. She could handle being a little lost, it was not the first time it happened to her in this line of work, surely it wouldn’t be the last. 

She turned a corner around a bakery that she vaguely recognized, happy to see a familiar landmark, and she walked past it without even glancing at the window, nearly missing a pony that recognized her as she walked past. Said pony walked out of the bakery hurriedly to catch up with her.

“Miss Glimmer!”

Starlight turned, recognizing the voice almost immediately, and not liking who it was. “Mr. Fancy Pants.”

Mr. Fancy Pants stopped in front of her, bowing politely and Starlight returned the gesture. She hadn’t seen him since the party, she couldn’t remember if he even congratulated her or not before he left, and Starlight wished it had stayed that way.

After a brief conversation that involved the weather, Mr. Fancy Pants finally cut to the chase. “I was in Sire’s Hollow a few weeks ago and had the pleasure of meeting your grandfather.”

Starlight was careful to keep her expression neutral. “Did you?”

“And a what a gentlecolt he was: cultured, intelligent and so very well connected. You are a very lucky mare to have been born to his family.” The stallion said, unaware—or uncaring—on how uncomfortable Starlight was with this conversation. “He has a rather large estate here in the Empire, one of the new ones built after the Crystal Heart’s force field grew in size, I’m currently staying there with him since your grandfather is rather fond of me and my wife. Will you drop by to visit him? He’s gotten along in years I’m afraid, so he can’t leave his estate or travel as he used too, I’m sure he would be delighted to see you.” 

She kept her mask of indifference, but inside Starlight was reeling. She was aware of who her family was, even if her mother never told her explicitly and her father didn’t like to talk about it, but she never pressed for details or bothered to find out more. So, why should she care now? She should be glad that the old crook was finally meeting his maker, after disowning her daughter and her family without a second thought, though she felt no particular anger for him, she didn’t want anything to do with her grandfather.

The pony that Fancy Pants was describing was a total stranger, and it should remain that way, for her sake and theirs. 

“I wouldn’t know Mr. Fancy Pants, my grandfather is a reserved pony, even to those he has blood ties with.” Starlight said, her voice carefully measured. “If you excuse me, I have a business to attend to.”

She turned and walked away; she still didn’t know where her office was—she just wanted to be away from the pushy stallion. Fancy Pants wasn’t done though, he caught up to her easily and fell in step with her, walking side by side.

“He insists on seeing you Miss Glimmer,” the unicorn said, dropping all pretenses. “He would’ve come to your engagement party if he could’ve, but like said, he’s in a very delicate state of health and ask me to go in his stead.”

“He wasn’t invited to the party,” Starlight said with annoyance. “He’s never been invited to any event of mine, he made it clear he didn’t want anything to do with me and my father when he didn’t attend his daughter’s funeral.”

Fancy Pants fell silent as he followed her, if she’d turned to look at him at the moment, she would have seen quite the flabbergasted expression on his face. He cleared his throat before he continued. “I’m sure he deeply regrets that he’s done many mistakes in his lifetime, something that couldn’t be helped considering how many years he’s walked this earth, the important thing is that he wants to rectify them while he still can. Would you be capable of denying a dying pony the chance to do so?”

Starlight stopped at the corner, forced to do so when the light changed and a bunch of carriages blocked her path, across the street she saw the familiar logo of her family’s company and it took all her self-restraint not to bolt towards the dark wooden doors. She long since dropped the expression of neutrality and the scowl on her face just grew more pronounced the longer Fancy Pants was there.

The trading business was a cut-throat industry, she didn’t get where she was by being nice and waiting for her turn, she got there because she learned how to read ponies and to plan. The timing of her grandfather’s “illness” was just too convenient, most likely he finally found her worthy of his attention, now that she marrying above her station. With Sunburst’s family name and her business, it would only be a matter of time before more ponies like her estranged grandfather came knocking. If she knew one thing about nobles, is that they were always after something.

Fancy Pants pulled a letter from his coat pocket, handing it to her with a wave of his magic. “At the very least consider it, but do make up your mind before it’s too late, I’m not exaggerating when I say that Sir Star Pointer is very ill.”

Starlight hesitated before she took the envelope, just in time for the light to change and she was free to cross the street. Mr. Fancy Pants didn’t follow, instead, he gave her a quick bow before he turned the opposite way—his job done, not giving Starlight enough time to return the gesture.

She looked at the letter, reading address and her name written in beautiful calligraphy, wondering briefly if this was written by her grandfather’s quill. She put the letter away with a sigh and crossed the street in a hurry, but her thoughts were stormy when she walked in through the doors. If what Fancy Pants said was true, and her grandfather was dying, could she be heartless enough to refuse him? She would be just like him when he didn’t show up for her mother’s memorial, she would be paying him back for ignoring her existence, she was the one with the power now, she could hurt him if she wanted too. But the thought didn’t bring her the satisfaction she thought it would.

The damage he did was done, and she was stronger for it.

When her father opened this branch of the company, it was the turning point for his work. He’d done what many ponies and companies failed to do: open trade with the Yaks. It hadn’t been easy since the yaks were prideful creatures and didn’t take kindly to strangers, but he’d done it and thanks to them her father’s fortune had skyrocketed, putting his name on the radar of many of the elite.

Nowadays the office wasn’t as busy compared to those first days, treaties and negotiations with the Crown had ease tensions between the Yaks and the Ponies, and products made by Yaks now flowed freely across Equestria. So, when Starlight pushed open the door of the office, she wasn’t surprised by its relative peacefulness. The waiting room was a blend of Crystal Empire’s architecture with the modern Equestrian styles, the floor was wooden and the walls made of sturdy crystal, with multiple pictures hang from the walls, some depicting scenes from Yakyakistan and the Empire, along with tapestries and ornaments of Yakyakistan origin, giving to them by Prince Rutherford as a symbol of friendship.

A large Yak was talking to the pony working the desk, the bulk of the Yak covering the employee from Starlight’s view, but the voices she heard where for her to recognize them. She smiled and walked around the Yak, standing next to him before she spoke.

“Mr. Horwitz! Fancy seeing you here!”

The Yak turned. Like all yaks Mr. Horwitz was tall and bulky, years of living in the Crystal Mountains had given the Yaks thick fur and strength that rivaled even the strongest of ponies, the only thing that set Horwitz apart from his brethren was his calm disposition and staggering knowledge of Yakyakistan history. It was thanks to his love of history that made him befriend her father all those years ago since Firelight was a history enthusiast.

“Ah, Starlight! Firelight told me you were dropping by,” Horwitz said in perfect Oxenford accent. “It’s good to see the new generation stepping up to the plate.”

“I hope you weren’t waiting for too long.”

“Not at all, I was just talking to this helpful pony over…”

Horwitz motioned towards and the space behind the desk, they both looked up just in time to see the door to the back of the store close. Starlight blinked, finding the behavior of her employees very odd, especially coming from Double Diamond, the most serviceable pony on staff. Granted, she hadn’t seen him in a while, but he never walked away from her without saying hi at least.

“I’m sorry, we’re very busy during this time of the year, with the snowstorms and such the work can pile up if we aren’t careful,” Starlight said quickly, hoping that the Yak wouldn’t catch up on her fib. “Speaking of which, we also have work to discuss, if you would be so kind as to follow me.”

The Yak shrugged and followed Starlight to the office. The room was spacious by pony standards but it was barely big enough for Horwitz to move comfortably, the yak didn’t complain as he sat in front of Firelight’s desk and Starlight sat on the other side.

For the past hours, Horwitz and Starlight discussed the terms of the trading contract, pouring over maps and letters to see what needed to be changed or adjusted concerning the routes, the working hours, the wages and several other details. Both creatures took their work seriously, neither of them bothering to glance at the clock as they negotiated prices and commented on the state of the economy, which was booming for both species.

Horwitz looked up from the map they were looking over and said. “Oh! I almost forgot! Your father asked me to give you something he commissioned especially for you.”

“Huh?” Starlight said, caught off guard by the sudden change in topic.

The yak turned to his side, rummaged through his travel bags and pulled out something that he dropped onto the desk, barely giving her time to move the papers out of the way before they were crushed by the package. The package hit the wood with a muffled thud and a crinkle of paper, it didn’t look like anything especially heavy was inside, like gold or jewelry, but it was bulky.

Starlight opened the package, ripping the paper that covered with and pulled out a green shimmering fabric. It felt light and incredible smooth on her hoof, she was almost reluctant on touching the material, afraid that she might rip it on accident since it looked so delicate in the light of the office. She wasn’t well versed when it came to fashion, but even she knew that the fabric in her grasp wasn’t ordinary, the color and the craftsmanship of the material couldn’t be denied. 

“Yak silk,” Horwitz said, grinning at Starlight’s wide eyes. “Made from silkworms that can only be found in the mountains during spring. Green is a sacred color in our culture, reserved only for the most important of occasions…like weddings, for example.”

“Thank you so much, Mr. Horwitz, the fabric is beautiful,” Starlight said and laughed at the Yak’s pointed but well-meaning look, a blush on her cheeks. “Wow, news travels fast it seems.”

“Us Yak’s can sense a party coming from a mile away…well, that’s mostly because Yak cuisine is quite smelly, and we can’t keep quiet even if our lives depend on it.”

“Pony weddings don’t hold a candle to a Yak celebration,” Starlight said, putting the green fabric back in the box like a priceless treasure. “They’re tame when compared to a Yak gathering, I believe that the soberness of the party is directly proportioned to how much wealth a pony has, the more money they have the more boring it is.”

“Ponies should learn from the Yak’s and loosen up a bit.”

They laughed and Starlight looked at the clock on the wall, her face paling. “Sweet Celestia is that the time?!”

Horwitz turned to look at it, then compared it to his pocket watch. “I believe it is.”

“I’m sorry Mr. Horwitz, can we continue this tomorrow? I have to meet somepony else and I’m late as it is!” Starlight jumped from her chair and ran to the door without waiting for his reply. “Thanks again for the gift!”

“Starlight wait! There’s—” Starlight slammed the door behind her. “…a snow storm coming in tonight.”

Starlight ran the length of the hallway, putting on her coats and scarf as she ran, her eyes fixed on the exit, she didn’t even notice Double Diamond standing behind the counter—he reached out a hoof to get her attention, his mouth open in an attempt to call her—but Starlight ran ahead like a steam engine, and nothing short of a disaster would stop her mad dash to the door.

What finally stopped her was the slap of cold air and snow that greeted her on the street.

She staggered by the sheer force of the gales, gasping at the cold that ran its icy fingers through her face, she gritted her teeth before trudging ahead, the wind messed with her mane and clothes, her long tail whipping furiously behind her.

The storm got worse the more she walked, and she noticed belatedly that most of the streets were deserted and the shops were closing, to top it off, she wasn’t all that sure where she was going. The last letter Sunburst sent her told her the name of the street and the restaurant they would meet, it was quite a popular spot to dine in the Empire so it shouldn’t have been hard to miss, but in this weather, she would count herself lucky if she didn’t fall into a ditch.

She walked ahead, fighting the wind and the snow and her doubts. For all she knew, Sunburst wasn’t even there, probably got tired of waiting for her and left—she was an hour late for their meeting so she wouldn’t blame him—and yet Starlight kept walking. She had to make sure, she wanted to uphold her promise, she had been looking forward to this all week, and she would be damn if she didn’t get to see him after traveling this far.

She bumped into something, or rather somepony—not surprising considering how bad the storm had grown throughout her walk—Starlight looked up, having to shout her apology to be heard over the winds.

“I’m so—_Sunburst!”_

The stallion pulled down the thick scarf from his snout, revealing the rest of his face, not that she needed the confirmation, the locks of red hair peeking from his hat gave him away, as well as his peculiar spectacles. His eyes widened with recognition as he stared, taking in her unmistakable blue eyes and colorful mane, and the clothes she wore, unfitting for such harsh weather and he panicked slightly. 

_“Starlight!? _What are you doing out here!?”

“I could be asking the same thing!”

Sunburst looked like he was ready to retort, but a blast of wind made them both wobbled on their hooves. Starlight nearly fell, being smaller and lighter than Sunburst, if he hadn’t reached out to steady her.

“This way!” Sunburst said, pulling her close as he guided her the opposite direction she’d been going.

She clung to him as they walked, closing her eyes as the wind hit her face and howled in her ears. Starlight didn’t know where they were going, but didn’t much care at the moment, too busy scolding herself for coming to the north during this time of the year, when the weather was so unpredictable, wondering why she went out of her way to do so. Then she felt Sunburst hold her close when they crossed a deserted avenue, pulling her towards a smaller side street, where the buildings shielded them from the worst of the storm, and she felt her heart jumped in response.

Oh, that was why.

The wind wasn’t blowing on her face anymore, giving Starlight the chance to open her eyes and take in her surroundings. The street was small, too small for a carriage to come through but wide enough for ponies to walk comfortably in, and at the end was a peculiar house. It was small, but charming, especially since the roof looked like a wizard’s hat that was covered in a thick layer of ice and snow.

Sunburst guided her towards it, climbing the small set of stairs before he opened the wooden doors with his magic, he gently pushed Starlight inside before he closed the doors behind them. Inside the little home, the silence that followed ranged in Starlight’s ears, her breath sounded loud while she stood in the darkened foyer, shivering as the snow began to melt against her skin. Sunburst quickly stepped inside, walking with nonchalant confidence as he turned on the lights with his magic and giving Starlight the chance to take in her surroundings. The house was bigger on the inside, but it was hard to tell considering the number of books and papers that littered the place, most of them sitting on bookshelves or any other available place possible, leaving a narrow trail for her to walk through; she followed after Sunburst, taking her time to read some of the titles as walked passed, noticing that they were either about magic, history, or a combination of the two.

The little hallway led her to the living room, which was much more spacious and equally filled with books and other curiosities like the rest of the home. Sunburst was there, leaning over the fireplace and tampering with something, she approached to see what he was doing just in time to see something flash in his hooves and a wave of heat to wash over the front of her body. Sunburst dropped what seemed to be a pair of crystals and looked over at her.

“I’m sorry for the mess,” he said with an embarrassed smile. “Work has been hectic lately and I haven’t had a chance to clean up.”

“I should be the one apologizing for intruding like this.” Starlight said with a smile, rubbing her foreleg as she looked at the glowing crystals. “Besides, this is much better than standing outside in this weather.”

Sunburst hummed in agreement, looking her over for a moment before turning his gaze to the fireplace. “These are fire crystals by the way, since firewood is hard to come by, not to mention expensive, most homes use fire crystals to heat up instead.”

“Oh, I-I heard o-of them,” Starlight answered, shivering in her wet clothes. Now that the adrenaline was leaving her, she finally noticed just how cold she was.

Sunburst frowned and stepped closer. “Hold still please.”

Her eyes widened when he approached, close enough to see where the white fur on his snout turn to gold, to see herself reflected in his glasses, but held still like he asked, watching as his horn glowed and the chill of her body disappeared almost instantaneously, her clothes no longer damp from the snow. He stepped away with a smile and she felt her cheeks warm up on their own.

“That should take care of most of the chill, but you can sit by the fireplace is you want, I’ll go make us some tea.”

“Let me help you,” Starlight said quickly, taking off her scarf and draping it on the couch. “Since it’s my fault we didn’t make it to the restaurant.”

“Unless you can control the weather of the north, I seriously doubt that is true.”

“I wished! If I had that kind of talent, I would be running a different kind of business.”

“Starlight the weather mage, I like the sound of that.”

They laughed and Sunburst walked to the kitchen with Starlight closed behind, even this part of the house had some form of reading material, with a modest pile of cooking books lined neatly on the wall, next to a cabinet filled with porcelain plates and mugs. Other than that, it was a simple kitchen with a stove, refrigerator, sink and a window that showed the storm raging outside.

Starlight stepped closer and tried to see beyond the flurry of snow, but couldn’t see anything besides the general shape of the buildings nearby. It seemed the storm hadn’t calmed down one bit since it started.

“Oh no,” she heard Sunburst say, turning to see him rummage through his cabinets with a frown of his face. “I forgot to buy tea on the way home—well that was my plan anyway, wasn’t counting on the storm hitting so early.”

“And you weren’t expecting company.” Starlight said as she approached the cabinet. 

“That too…though that was a much more pleasant surprise.”

Starlight laughed, bumping her shoulder against his lightly. “You’re such a smooth talker, you know that?”

“I’ve been told.”

She huffed—but it lacked any real anger to back up the gesture—and she looked into his cabinet, eyes roaming over the food items until she spotted something she could use. “How about we make some coffee instead?” She reached out with her magic and the coffee grain bag floated gently towards her, she gave an appreciative hum when she read the label. “This is some great grain too! We need to make some.”

Sunburst wrinkled his nose. “Oh, I don’t really like coffee, that was given to me as a gift by my colleague so I couldn’t turn it down, so it’s been sitting in cupboard ever since.”

“You don’t like coffee?” Starlight said with a raised eyebrow. “But…you’re a scholar, is practically in the job description to be addicted to caffeine.”

“I could never get into it,” he shrugged. “I rather have tea, there’s more flavor to it—while coffee just tastes like burned wood shavings.”

“That’s because you probably only tried the instant kind,” Starlight said and pulled out a coffee kit, unopened and unused, from where she found the coffee grains. “But this one will be different and much better, I promise.”

Starlight made him sit on one of the chairs and Sunburst watched as she worked, grinding the coffee beans and putting the kettle on the stove. Soon the kitchen was filled with the smell of fresh coffee, causing Sunburst to smile appreciatively and close his eyes as he took in the scent; he still didn’t care for the beverage but the smell was pleasant and reminded him of the coffee shops he liked to frequent, all that was missing was the jazz music and a comfortable couch to lounge around.

“How did you learn to make coffee like this?”

“My mother thought me,” she said, smiling with a hint nostalgia as she put the filter on the brewer and rinsed it with the warm water of the kettle. “She would make it all the time for my dad, then she thought me and I haven’t drunk coffee any other way since.”

Starlight worked quickly and with confidence, she placed the grounded beans into the warm filter and slowly poured the boiling water over them, starting from the center and working her way around the edges. The smell of coffee grew stronger, steam rising from brewer as the drink gradually dripped to the bottom.

“I haven’t been to the Empire for quite some time,” Starlight said suddenly, watching as the coffee slowly filled the brewer. “So, I had my work cut out for me when I arrived…that, and I got a little lost along the way, wasting more time.”

“The city has grown a lot in recent years, but I get it, I was also a little lost when I moved here.”

“How long have you been living here?”

“For about…five years, more or less? I moved here as soon as I graduated from the Academy, which was good because not long after the library’s old archives were discovered and they needed translators, so I applied and have been working there ever since.”

“And do you like it there?”

“Like it? I love it!” Sunburst said with a chuckle. “Never thought I would get paid for reading and writing all day, and if it hadn’t been for Sir Star Pointer, our research wouldn’t be where it is today.”

Starlight looked up sharply from the brewer, her eyes wide. She felt the pointy corners of the letter on her pocket pocking at her chest and she placed a hoof over the pocket. “Sir Star Pointer, is he your boss? How can he afford to fund such research?”

“He’s a generous donator, he usually organizes parties and events to fund and promote the work that we do, plus he’s well connected, whenever we need something specific for our research he’s the one that introduces us to the pony that could help us, he’s quite the philanthropist.” His smile dropped when he saw the frown on Starlight’s face. “Do you know him?”

“More or less,” Starlight said and took out the filter with remains of the coffee beans, setting it aside as she reached for the mugs and poured the steaming, black beverage into them.

She handed him a cup after she mixed the brew with fresh cream and a tablespoon of sugar— since Sunburst didn’t have a preference for the drink, he let her do it, trusting her judgment—but he kept his attention on her, wondering on her sudden change of demeanor. “Sir Pointer knows any pony who’s somepony, so maybe that’s why you know his name.”

Starlight cradled her warm cup in her hooves and sighed, her coffee was black. “…No, that’s not why…Star Pointer, he’s my grandfather.”

It was thanks to Sunburst’s magic that the contents of his mug didn’t spill to the table, but there was little he could do to hide his surprise from Starlight. He blinked, placing the cup back on the table between them, and cleared his throat. “Oh dear, I didn’t know he had a family.”

“I think he rather keep it that way,” Starlight said with bitterness. 

She explained their rocky history, even mentioning the sudden summons she received earlier that day. Sunburst listened quietly as the steam of their coffees wafted between them, a frown on his face like he was searching for the answer to a riddle, by the time she was done, their drinks were lukewarm.

Starlight took a sip of her drink and grimaced. “Great, all this talk has ruined my coffee.”

Her attempts of clearing the air go unnoticed, Sunburst is still deep in thought as he sips his drink and sets it down just as quickly. “That’s concerning…Whenever I speak to him, he always seemed kind but now…to cut off his only child like...” He mumbled before looking at his fiancée. “All these years of silence and now he wants to meet you, I can see why you’re on edge, do you have any guess as to why?”

“I have some theories…” Starlight said and met his eyes. “But what do you think Sunburst? Should I meet him? Or should I ignore him altogether?”

“Starlight, that’s your decision to make.”

“But what do you think I should do?”

Sunburst fell silent again, looking at her pleading expression for a moment before looking down at his half-finished coffee. The coffee had been good, delicious even, the milk and the sugar combined softened the bitterness of the coffee, leaving a pleasant aftertaste. He wondered if her mother had taught her to balance the ingredients so perfectly, or was it something Starlight picked up herself; for that matter where and when had the late Aurora Glimmer learned to make coffee in the first place, when most noble mares are encouraged to learn the art of making tea and how to drink it.

Then he remembered all his meetings with Sir Star Pointer, the old pony always drank coffee, no matter the time of day. Could it be…?

“Are you familiar with the saying: blood’s thicker than water?” He asked when Starlight nodded, he continued. “I recently read a poem that takes an interesting spin on it:

Blood, as all ponies know, than water’s thicker,

but water’s wider, thank the stars, than blood.”

Starlight frowned, tapping a hoof to her chin as she thought. “I get the first part, but what does it mean by water’s wider? Is he talking about the ocean?”

“Perhaps, poetry is not my strongest suit I’m afraid,” he chuckled, “but I think he’s talking about choices, we always have a choice and the options are endless and as wide as the sea. The same applies to blood ties, but in this case, he’s been out of your life for so long you might as well be strangers, a bond that’s been diluted if you will. It’s up to you to decide what’s next.” 

She looked down at the black coffee in her hooves. A bond that’s been diluted, more like a frayed string hanging by its fibers, if her grandfather hadn’t contacted her, she would probably have cut the string off entirely with time and no pony would be none the wiser, especially herself. What bothered her was her mother’s memory, she wondered if she would be disrespecting it somehow if she went to this meeting, or it could be the other way around. Aurora never spoke much about her father, not even to wish him ill will, she just looked saddened whenever Starlight asked and that was why she never pressed her mother for answers, she hated to see her sad. She wished she could speak to her mother, not the first time she made that wish, and like always it was never answered. 

Aurora Glimmer couldn’t speak for herself anymore, but Starlight Glimmer could. Whatever her grandfather’s end game was, the ball was in her court now, she wasn’t a little filly, but a grown mare with power and influence if he thought he could manipulate her into anything he had another thing coming.

The choice was hers to make.

“I don’t know what I’ll do, but I do feel a little better.” She admitted and grinned at the stallion. “Thank you, Sunburst.”

“Any time.” 

She finished her coffee and looked out the window, despite the time it was dark as night time and the storm hadn’t calmed down in the slightest. Sunburst followed her line of sight and grimaced.

“I think going out to the dinner is out of the question.”

“Oh, why do I always have the worst timing,” Starlight sighed. “Do you think it will last much longer?”

“I think it will last the whole night.”

Before Starlight could answer, he stood up and went to his fridge, pulling out an assortment of ingredients. “I’m not the best cook but I can whip something up with these, even a snotty noble can make a sandwich.”

Starlight giggled and stood up. “In that case, even a spoil rich brat can help you with making them.”

The rest of the evening was spent talking about lighter topics, Sunburst discussing his research and the topic of his latest book while Starlight listened and chimed in once in a while, cutting the vegetables. Together they made an assortment of sandwiches and Starlight taught him how to make more coffee, it wasn’t as good as the one she made earlier but Starlight drank it all the same. During their talk they migrated to Sunburst living room, a plate of sandwiches between them and steaming cups of coffee in their grasps, laying on the living room’s rug with the glow of fire crystals to light the night. Starlight had never been so comfortable.

Despite the caffeine in her veins and the pleasant company, her weariness caught up with her and she was beginning to nod off. She shook herself with a start when Sunburst called out her name.

“I’m sorry,” Starlight mumbled and rubbed her eyes. “It’s been a long day; I should head to my apartment now that the storm has settled.”

“Starlight I told you, this storm will last the whole night.” To prove his point, he pulled the curtain with his magic, showcasing the raging storm outside the window pane.

“I could teleport.”

“If you knew the way from my house to your apartment, which I’m willing to bet you don’t.”

“Then that means…I-I would have to spend the night and…” Starlight fell silent and looked at the fire crystals, hoping that the glow of the quartz would somehow hide her blush. “And I didn’t bring any clothes with me…”

Now it was his turn to keep quiet. After a few embarrassing moments filled with silence, the stallion cleared his throat. “That’s alright, I can cast some cleaning spells to your clothes so they look fresh in the morning, and I could lend you some pajamas—if you want!” He added quickly and when he met her gaze, they both looked away with embarrassment.

The awkward silence remained for a moment before Starlight broke it. “Sunburst?”

“I’m sorry Starlight, I swear this wasn’t my intention when I brought you here,” Sunburst let out a deep sigh, his face still red with embarrassment. “Please believe me when I say that I would never do anything to make you feel uncomfortable, or to take advantage of you, I’m not that kind of pony.” 

“Sunburst,” she said calmly and placed a gentle hoof under his chin so he would meet her eyes, “it’s okay, I trust you.”

And she did, and it was maddening how quickly he’d gone under her skin when she always considered herself a pragmatic mare, but he was winning her over. With his sincerity and his gentle smiles, his quick wit, and his smart tongue, it was hard not to find him charming. A small voice in the back of her head told her to be careful—to back away while there was still time—but Starlight had never been a pony to second guess herself, and she had a feeling that her heart had already taken the plunge while her mind was still toeing the edge. 

He smiled and took her hoof from his chin, but didn’t let it go.

“Well…” he said and his face was still as red as a tomato, “…would you like to stay?”

Her face was also red, but she managed to smile. “If you don’t mind, then yes, I would love too.” 

After cleaning the kitchen and the small mess they made in the living room, Sunburst handed her a clean spare of his pajamas, a blue housecoat with teal accents, and a clean towel. She went to the bathroom to change, quickly realizing that the robe was at least two sizes too big for her, she did her best to tie and roll up the fabric to better suit her, but the result was mixed at best.

She exited the bathroom and saw him sitting on the edge of his bed, wearing a matching set of sleepwear, though it fitted him better. He looked up and walked towards her. “I’m sorry about the size, is it too uncomfortable? I think I got an older set in my drawers somewhere…”

“It’s fine, Sunburst,” Starlight said, hiding her embarrassment with a giggle. “It’s very warm and comfortable, that’s more than enough for me, besides: we match!” 

Sunburst blinked and looked down, realizing what she was talking about and laughed. “I, huh, well, blue and teal are my favorite colors after all.”

They both laughed. It was silly how they were engaged and yet they were practically strangers to one another, and yet, there they were, doing couple things like wearing a matching set of pajamas and Starlight didn’t feel weirded out. She hoped that Sunburst wasn’t too uncomfortable about the situation either, she wanted to ease those worries, just like he has done so far. Sunburst nodded and turned around, walking towards a closet at the end of the room and opening the doors.

“Sunburst?”

“Yeah?”

“Where are you going?”

“To sleep on the couch in my study,” he said, gathering an extra blanket from his closet. “Don’t worry, I usually sleep there anyway, so I don’t mind.”

He turned and walked towards the door, but before he could reach it, he heard shuffling and a set of hoof-steps following him close behind. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Starlight three steps behind him, he stopped, looking her over with concern. “What is it? Do you need anything?” 

“I’ll be sleeping on the couch too.”

Sunburst chuckled, turning towards her with a smile on his face—convinced that she was joking—which faltered when he saw her serious expression. The silence that fell between them was deafening, competing with the howls of the storm that was raging outside of his little home. Sunburst met her dark blue eyes, and they never left his no matter how long he scrutinized. He waited for her to smile and laugh at his expression, for her to dismiss it all with a wave of her hoof. But she didn’t. Sunburst swallowed, his throat dry, working up the nerve to speak up. “May I know why?” 

“Because,” she said softly, so only he could hear. “I’ll be your wife.”

His eyes widen.

She took a step back, not once dropping her gaze. She quite likes it when he was like this: when she caught him off guard when she manages to peek under the mask of civility and see other parts of himself. Starlight felt accomplished for managing that when it was usually the other way around. She smiled gently and touched his shoulder.

“What kind of wife would I be if I made you sleep on the couch?” She shook her head. “I don’t want us to be like that. I want…I want to be there for you, if you’re feeling down or tired, I want you to know that no matter where you are, I’ll be by your side.”

Sunburst remained expressionless for a few seconds. Staring at the beautiful mare offering to be by his side no matter what, he was so used to giving—his time, his knowledge, his money, his name—that it felt almost wrong to be the one receiving something for a change. He was aware that she was using his words, the ones he used a few weeks ago, but he could also tell that she meant them. Every word. Just like he did.

Sunburst smiled and the expression turned bashful with the blush dusting his cheeks. He took her hoof by the fetlock and brought it to his lips, kissing the front of her hoof. “Thank you, Starlight.”

“Your welcome,” Starlight said, taking advantage of his lowered head to place a quick kiss on his forehead, right next to his horn. They both laughed and Starlight stepped back to an appropriate distance, ignoring the heat on her face with a chuckle. “So, where should we sleep? On the couch or the bed?”

“Well, you got me,” he said with a grin. “I can’t let my future wife sleep on the couch, so the bed it is.” They walked towards the bed, Starlight climbing first and slipping under his covers on the right side, Sunburst took the left side, placing the blankets he took out and draped them over himself, that way it would be harder to touch her if he were to move during the night.

They laid on their sides, facing each other in the low light of the solitary candle. Starlight looked at him before speaking in a soft voice. “You should rest, those ancient texts won’t translate themselves.”

“You should stay, at least until breakfast, that way I can escort you back to your apartment.”

Starlight nodded; she could hear a hint of demand in his voice, she wasn’t sure what brought it on, but part of her found it adorable. “Of course, and I’ll make more coffee in the morning.”

Starlight burrowed further into his blankets, taking in the softness of his bed, and the smell of the detergent mixed with a hint of sandalwood and masculinity that reminded her of him. Her tiredness was winning over her nervousness of the situation, but part of her was fighting it, a simple sense of healthy skepticism that kept her from fully falling asleep.

She had never done this before, sharing a bed with another pony, much less a male one. Maybe it was her exhaustion that made her so complaint, and she was reluctant to fight the sense of comfort that being with Sunburst brought her, she wanted to embrace it, let it wrap around her like the blankets that covered her. So she didn’t jump when he pulled said covers closer to her face and tucked her in more comfortably, instead, she hummed contently and smiled softly, closing her eyes. 

“Goodnight, Sunburst.”

Sunburst blew out the candle, leaving the room in total darkness. The storm kept howling outside, but Starlight was so comfortable and warm that she didn’t pay it any mind, and that sense of comfort only grew when she felt his lips brushing her forehead.

“Goodnight, Starlight.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My plan was to post this on Valentine's Day, but didn't make it obviously, and my god, this is a long chapter coming from me, hopefully it makes up for the delay.


	5. come down now, they say

Starlight was not a morning pony, her work usually keeping her up well into the night, ruining any pretense of a healthy sleeping schedule. So, when she woke up and saw the early sunlight seeping through the curtains, she was more concerned about the hour than where she was.

The thought did catch up with her, eventually, but it was slow and it was overpowered by the feeling that she was forgetting something. She stretched and turned to her side, looking at the empty side of the bed and the rumpled sheets that covered it, still half-asleep she reached out to touch the space and feeling a slight warmth that remained…

Sunburst!

She sat up with a gasp, recalling all that happened last night and what had brought her here. A blush appeared on her cheeks and she rubbed her hooves over her face as she groaned; they hadn’t done anything (besides sleeping) but remembering how forwarded she acted, the things she said, it made her want to hit her head against the wall for acting in such a shameful matter. Still blushing profusely, she pulled the curtains aside with a wave of her magic and saw that the storm had finally stopped, the light of the morning sun making her squint as it reflected on the pure white snow.

“Sunburst?” she called out and received no answer in return, the house was quiet, something she noticed when she walked out of the bedroom.

The hallway led to the living room which led to the rest of the house, his home was small and in a matter of minutes she’d confirmed that the stallion wasn’t there. She walked back to the living room, feeling confusion and worry tie knots in her stomach, that was when she noticed a note on the table with her name on it, next to a folded pile of clothes that she recognized as hers. Wasting no more time she quickly opened it and read it:

> _Starlight: I forgot that I have an important event this evening that I have to prepare for, you’re more than welcome to come if you like, just meet me at the Central Library at seven pm. I hope to see you there._
> 
> _—Sunburst._

She put the letter down after reading it a couple of times, her earlier worry turning into disappointment. She’d wanted to spend more time with him, have that breakfast he promised last night, but it wouldn’t happen anytime soon, she sighed and took the folded clothes with her to the bathroom to change. Starlight wanted to be understanding, she couldn’t blame him for being busy, or to demand he give up everything for her, Sunburst had to prepare for this event so it couldn’t be helped.

But…she wouldn’t have minded if he waked her up to say goodbye…

She had fallen asleep so easily last night, despite sharing the bed with a pony she barely knew—sure, that pony would be her husband by this time next year, but by all means, they were still strangers. Starlight blames it on her exhaustion, considering the hectic day she had and the crazy storm that almost buried her alive, but she would be lying if she said she didn’t already feel safe in Sunburst’s company, and last night had cemented her reasons to trust him. 

Despite the sunny morning that greeted her when she exited his house, her mood didn’t match the bright day ahead of her.

Walking down the street, her mind and her heart were at odds with the other. Her reason argued that they only met and spoken to each other a handful of times, and the time in between had been spent away from the other, that it was too soon to trust him like that. Her heart pleaded that each conversation had been meaningful in its way, a pony who was being deceitful wouldn’t have said those things with such conviction, would they?

Before she knew she was standing on the front door of her apartment, technically it was her father’s, but he had loaned it to her for the duration of her stay. Talking to Mr. Horwitz yesterday made her realize that there was a lot of work to be done here in the Empire, enough for her to extend her stay for longer than she anticipated. She was glad she packed more than usual and sent her luggage here ahead of time.

She freshened up and changed her clothes, taking her time as she brushed her mane and stared out the window, watching as the streets come to life with shops opening and ponies going to work. From here she had a great view of the Empire, the Crystal castle standing tall in the center of the city, it’s height unrivaled by the buildings around it, though it didn’t mean that there weren’t some tall structures around it as well. The one that caught her attention and it took her moment to recognized it, the golden dome was covered with snow but it was unmistakably the Central Library, another grand building that attracted tourists and intellectuals alike.

Starlight smiled and put the brush down. Seeing the building—even from a distance—put her at ease.

A knock on her door distracted her. “Starlight, are you home?”

“Just a second!” Starlight quickly fixed her mane in the mirror and made her way to the front door, smiling thinly when she saw who it was. “Double Diamond, nice of you to drop by.”

“Huh, yeah, I just wanted to check on you after the storm we had…” The snowy white stallion rubbed the back of his head with his hoof, messing his white mane even more.

Double Diamond was a tall and somewhat muscular stallion, his love for winter sports, and his job in her father’s company keeping him in shape. Starlight knew the stallion since she was a teenager, both of them starting their training as merchants around the same time and grew close, but that friendship had been strained as of late—time and distance slowly severing their bond until they were practically strangers—and his attitude yesterday had sour Starlight’s view of him.

They both stood awkwardly in the hallway, keeping their silence until Starlight broke it. “Well, as you can see, I made it out alright, so if that’s all…”

Double Diamond looked at the floor, his hooves shuffling nervously. “No, I…I want to apologize for yesterday,” he said, glancing at her shocked expression before quickly looking away. “I wasn’t…well, I don’t have an excuse, I know that I acted rudely in front of a customer—and an important one to boot—I’m sorry, and I promise it won’t happen again.”

“Can I ask what happened to make you act that way?”

“I don’t want to talk about it, it’s…personal.”

Starlight nodded and sighed. She could never stay angry at other ponies for long, especially when they apologized to her. “It’s alright, as long as you keep your word and don’t let it happen again.”

His smile this time was more sincere and Starlight smiled back, like they were back to the old days, when they were just learning their trade and things were much simpler. A tinge of regret dampened her spirits when she realized how she left her old friend behind, maybe if she hadn’t, he wouldn’t have to give her the cold shoulder, but she shoved those dark feelings aside and decided to mend their strained friendship.

“I was just about to go get some breakfast; would you like to join me?” 

“Yes! Absolutely!” He asked quickly.

Starlight giggled and close the door behind her. “That’s great because I haven’t been here for a long time and I have no idea where to eat, so I will let you pick.”

Double Diamond grinned and nodded. “I know just the place.” 

Starlight followed the stallion to a café not far from her apartment, all the while they spoke about the trading business in the Empire, his insight on the matter fascinated Starlight and she asked question after question. The business was booming in the Empire, but hearing Double Diamond talk made her see how neglectful the company had been here if she didn’t correct that soon the business could suffer.

She was deep in thought as they took a seat on one of the booths of the restaurant, so much so she didn’t realize the conflicted expression on the stallion’s face, or when it finally changed to one of resolved, nor when he took a deep breath to gather his courage before he spoke. “Hmm, Starlight?”

Starlight hummed distractedly.

“Is it true that you’re getting married?”

Her eyes snapped to his, blinking as her head cleared from thoughts of business and economics, once the words finally registered, she smiled and a light blush appeared on her cheeks. “Wow, news sure travels fast, huh?”

“Not fast enough…” He mumbled before eating a piece of the complimentary bread in front of him.

Starlight took a sip of her tea before answering. “Well, yes, I’m getting married by the end of this year.”

Double Diamond nodded, unsurprised by the news, and avoided her gaze by looking at his breakfast plate of untouched food. Starlight also avoided his gaze, distracted by far more pleasant thoughts than the ones going through the stallion’s head. 

“The engagement was announced just last week, it was short notice so not that many creatures came, but there were enough guests to fill the room and then some…”

Starlight told him all about the party, but Double Diamond wasn’t listening to her, instead of contemplating her happy expression and wondering what kind of pony was her fiancé to have her smile in such a way, hating the fact that it wasn’t him that brought her such joy.

The gap between them had never felt so wide, the jealousy in him feeling like a dead weight wrapped around his neck, a weight that would plunge him to the bottom if he dared to jumped the distance between them. He shook his head and closed his eyes, he had no one to blame but himself; if he had acted on these feelings sooner, maybe he would have had a chance, but he had been a teenager when he first laid eyes on her and back then she hadn’t been half as amicable as she was now. If he had forced himself on her, she probably wouldn’t even talk to him now.

She had been cute when she was a kid, but also rebellious and mean spirited, playing harsh pranks on the other kids and pulling off dangerous stunts. The only reason she let him hang around was that he would follow without complained—even then he would sometimes be the target of her bullying—no matter how crazy or dangerous her adventures tended to be, acting more like a lackey than a friend. He hoped that if he stayed by her side long enough, she would return his feelings, but it never happened and Starlight’s attitude only got worse as they grew. When he realized how little she cared for him, Double Diamond decided to move to the Crystal Empire when he turned sixteen, his suspicions all but confirmed when Starlight hadn’t even come to say goodbye to him at the station. 

Being away from her mitigated his feelings for Starlight to the point he hardly thought of her, more focused on his own life and interests. He grew, learned, made real friends, and by his eighteen birthday, he was working as a real merchant. His feelings for her would probably have disappeared all-together if he hadn’t seen her again.

It happened when Firelight summoned him to Shire’s Town and when he went to knock on the door of his estate the one who answered was a pretty mare. He didn’t recognize her at first, with her friendly smile and clear expression, looking up at him with polite curiosity, but when he did, he couldn’t hide his surprise.

“Starlight?”

Starlight blinked and looked at him strangely. “Yes, I’m Starlight Glimmer. Do you have an appointment with my father?”

“It’s me! Double Diamond, we used to play together as kids!”

There was confusion at first, and then recognition and the way she smiled at him made him weak in the knees. “Oh, yes! Double Diamond! How you been?”

And just like that, he was smitten once more, and strongly this time, for she no longer acted like a bratty filly and was interested in what he had to say. The week he spent in Shire’s Town was all it took for him to go back to his old ways, idolizing Starlight once more, doing whatever she asked, but he was wise enough to keep this discovery to himself, out of fear of Starlight rejecting him. When it was time for him to leave, they promised to write to the other, maintaining a friendship through writing for a couple of years.

He’d been ecstatic, writing to her almost daily and was the happiest when he saw her letters in the mail. Then her responses slowed to only a letter a week, then to monthly, until he only received a letter from her once a year, if he was lucky.

Then he heard the news of her engagement from other members of the company, not through Starlight herself. Needless to say, he hadn’t taken the news well and it was reflected in his mood, making him cold and aloof when he used to be friendly. And seeing Starlight yesterday walking in like nothing was wrong…it had been too much.

At least he was calm now, but sitting in the café and seeing her talk about her fiancé wasn’t something he was enjoying, still, he sat through it as best as he could, because what kind of friend would he be if he weren’t happy for her?

…The kind that was in love with her and was too coward to act on his feelings, that’s who.

“—I’m seeing him tonight at the library, he’s directing a panel on the Crystal Empire’s history, you should go, Double Diamond, I think the event is open to the public.”

“I’m not very fond of history at the moment,” he said and shrugged. “Why worry about the past when the future is upon us?”

“Well, I think is important to learn about our history, so we can make better decisions in the future.”

Double Diamond chuckled and shook his head. “I don’t know, I distinctly remember you tossing your history book down the ravine when we graduated from middle school.”

“I can’t believe you remember that,” Starlight said with a blush, covering her face in embarrassment. “Ugh, I was such a brat back then, but in my defense, Miss Dusty Pages was the worst teacher ever, her classes were torture. At least Sun—Lord Zenith knows how to make it interesting, and when he talks about it you can see how much he cares for the subject.”

He looked up in time to see a lovestruck smile on her face, her eyes lowered as she gazed at the dark liquid of her drink with a faraway expression. The selfish part of him felt pained when he saw her smile. “For you to say those things…you must love him, don’t you?”

Starlight gasped, swallowing a piece of her toast and choking on it. She coughed and hit her chest to clear her throat, in the end, she was forced to drink half of her tea before she could breathe easily again. Double Diamond handed her a napkin, looking at her with concern. “Are you alright?”

“Y-Yeah, I’m fine,” she said and took the napkin, cleaning up the mess she made. “I was just…surprise with what you said.”

“What? About you loving him?”

“Don’t say it so lightly!” Starlight complained, her face glowing with the force of her blush. “You make it sound so easy, knowing when you love some pony else…”

“Wait,” Double Diamond said slowly and his eyes widened as the realization hit him. “You’re marrying a pony you don’t love?!”

Starlight cringed and raised her hooves in a placating matter. “Double Diamond, please, you’re making a big deal out of nothing, I agreed to go through with this and Lord Zenith has been nothing but a gentlecolt.”

The stallion closed his mouth with a snap, his feelings tighten into a ball in his chest that didn’t let him speak. He slumped in his chair with a sigh, Starlight watching him curiously from across the table. Her friends had acted similarly, but there was something different in his actions when compared to them. Then again, Double Diamond didn’t know her as well as her friends did, so he was probably freaking out over other things entirely. 

“How can you be so calm about this?”

“Why are you so freak out about this?” She countered.

“Because I—” he stopped himself when he realized he was raising his voice and took a deep breath. “I’m worried for you, I think you’re too trusting of this Lord Zenith, how can you be so sure of his character? Have you known him for long before all this?”

Now it was Starlight’s turn to be speechless, his words striking a chord in her and bringing back the dilemma from that morning. She tapped her hoof on the table, counting the days she spent with Sunburst and came up short of four days, was that enough to fully know a pony? Even if the time spent with the other was meaningful, their conversations deep and sincere? She wasn’t sure and Double Diamond’s accusatory expression didn’t give her confidence in the answer. 

He took her silence as permission to continue. “You know those nobles, they always act nice and polite to one’s face, but when they think you aren’t listening…” he shook his head. “They’re two-faced by nature and their true selves are usually very unpleasant, they’re selfish and cruel and think they can do what they want just because of who they’re related too. I bet he doesn’t know hardship or worked a single day in his life, he would never understand you. Starlight, what will you do if once you marry him and he starts treating you horribly? What if he starts using you? You should call off the engagement while you still have time—”

“Sunburst isn’t like that.” Starlight said suddenly, interrupting him.

He looked stunned and Starlight was too, but it was quickly drowned by the anger growing inside of her, so she pressed on.

“Yes, he might be of noble lineage, but he is much more than his title. You claim he could be all those things, and yet, you know him even less than I do, you’re so ready to pass judgment and you don’t even know how he looks like!” Starlight pinned him with a harsh glare. “If I were to judge him it would be on the things he has _done_, not on what he _might_ do, and so far, he’s been nothing but kind and understanding of the situation. If anyone should be judged…it should be me.” Her glare was dampened by her sadness and she sighed. “Don’t you remember how horrible I was when we were young? I was the definition of spoiled selfishness and I don’t even have a noble title; I was just lucky enough to be born into a time of great prosperity for my family.”

“Starlight—”

“I appreciate your concern for me, I truly do, but I _don’t _appreciate you undermining my choices and my _fiancé_.”

He began babbling some excuse, and Starlight had the strangest feeling of déjà vu; she was reminded of her teenaged years, of him following her around and never saying no to her, and when she questioned him, he always spoke in this matter, pulling excuses from the air to justify their actions, even if they both knew what they were doing was wrong. He was the opposite of Trixie, who would tell her with little uncertainty when she was wrong or doing something stupid.

“We should go,” Starlight said tersely, standing from her chair. “We have work to do.”

She walked to the register and paid for the two meals without waiting for him, he caught up to her when she walked out of the restaurant. They marched in silence the rest of the way— Starlight simmering in her anger and glaring at the snow crunching under her hooves—but Double Diamond broke it when they were standing in front of the company’s door, placing a hoof on the handle so Starlight couldn’t walk in.

“Starlight, please forgive me, I see now that my comments were mean and uncalled for, but could you at least tell me…do you have feelings for Lord Zenith?”

Starlight blinked and looked at him. She didn’t have much experience when it came to relationships, but even she could see that there was something more to Double Diamond’s statement, written between the lines and staring at her right in the face. She saw it in his eyes, slight desperation that made her feel pity for him: it must be painful to have your feelings unrequited.

She sighed and pushed his hoof aside, walking into the building. There was no one in the office but them, so she didn’t hesitate when she answered. “I have been a terrible friend to you, so I understand why you wouldn’t want my friendship…but that’s all I can give.” She met eyes with the stallion, who stood with a stricken look on his face but stayed quiet. “You deserve a pony that will care for you deeply and unconditionally, that loves and adores for your quirks as well as your talents, but that pony is not me, it was never me. And I’m sorry it had to come to this for me to realize how you feel, but I don’t feel the same way, please understand.”

Having not been expecting Starlight’s rejection, it took a long while for Double Diamond to respond, and the white stallion looked more dejected as it dragged on, until he lowered his head with defeat. “I…I always knew you would never correspond my feelings, but I had hoped…I’m sorry, I need a moment.”

He walked hurriedly to the back of the office and Starlight watched him go with a heavy heart. He slammed the door behind him, leaving her alone in the parlor with her guilt—not for what she said, but because of her words cutting him so deeply, she never wanted to hurt him. 

She took a moment to gather herself before walking into her office, trying to put her thoughts of Double Diamond to the side and—looking at the pile of paperwork waiting for her at her desk—knew it wouldn’t be an easy thing to do. She was confident that all he needed was time to heal, but she couldn’t help but wonder if this would be the final straw that would end their strained friendship.

She picked the first document laying on the top of the pile and began to read with reluctance.

* * *

Golden light poured from every window of the Central Library and Starlight hurried to get through its doors. A gentle snowfall had begun when she left her apartment that evening and hadn’t let up, covering the streets with a fresh coat of white snow.

Once inside she sighed with relief as the warm air of the building enveloped her, dusting the snowflakes from her coat. The lobby was massive and looked more like the entrance to an opera house than a public building, other ponies gathered in the vestibule, dressed in a similar matter as her, but with an air of intellect and seriousness.

She spotted Mr. Horwitz easily enough, standing much taller than the little ponies around him, he stood out without even trying and Starlight smiled as she waved. “Mr. Horwitz!”

The yak turned and waved back with a grin. “Miss Glimmer! Just in time!”

He walked halfway to meet her and hugged her. “I’m sorry I’m late, I didn’t realize how far this place is from my apartment.”

“It’s alright, after all, I wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t told me about this! Any historic breakthrough concerning the Empire is an event I never want to miss!”

Starlight nodded, though her smile was a little strained. She hadn’t meant to invite the scholarly Yak, but she accidentally let slipped what she was doing tonight and he had freaked out when she mentioned Sunburst’s name. Apparently, Mr. Horwitz was a huge fan of his work.

They talked for a little while as they waited to be let into the auditorium, until a petite mare approached them, dressed in a shirt that said ‘Staff’ and carrying a clipboard to her chest. Starlight and Mr. Horwitz listened to what she had to say and the Yak brightened when he heard the news.

“He wants to see us before the lecture starts?!”

“He only requested to see Miss Glimmer.”

“Oh,” the yak said dejectedly.

“I’ll ask him to meet you once the lecture is over,” Starlight said, patting his shoulder in consolation. “Wait for us at the entrance.”

With that she waved goodbye to her friend and followed the mare to the backstage, she gave Starlight directions and left when frantic yelling came through her headphones, saying that she had work to do and couldn’t escort her the rest of the way. Following her directions, she searched the hallway for the right room and turned the corner when she bumped into someone.

“Oh, I’m sorry!” Starlight said, stepping back and reaching a hoof upward to steady the pony she bumped into.

Which was good because he was an old pony, with wrinkles on his face and grey in his dark blue mane. Starlight grabbed him lightly by the shoulder and waited for the old stallion to be steady on his legs again.

“Are you alright, miss?” said the older stallion, looking up at Starlight with an apologetic smile, which pronounced the wrinkles around his dark green eyes. He wore an old-style but expensive-looking suit, the black color of the material complementing the ocean green color of his body, and his mane was light blue mixed with grey.

“I’m alright, just surprised that’s all.” Starlight answer, dropping her hoof from his shoulder.

“Good, I apologize for my carelessness miss, these eyes aren’t what they used to be.” He smiled gently and for a brief moment—so brief she thought she imagined it—she thought the smile was familiar somehow. “It doesn’t help that I’m also hopelessly lost, all these doors look the same to me.”

“The exit is right this way, just go down this hall and through the red door, but there should be some members of the staff to guide you if you’re still unsure.”

The old stallion nodded. “Thank you miss, but…I don’t suppose you could walk me to exit? My granddaughter is waiting for me in the theatre you see, and she must be awfully worried about me right now.”

Starlight hesitated, thinking about Sunburst waiting for her in of the rooms, but nodded after some consideration. “This way sir.”

They walked unhurriedly to accommodate the stallion’s slow and uneven gait, his left back leg was stiff and he couldn’t lift it properly, so it dragged slightly behind him as he walked, forcing him to hop a little to move forward. She didn’t mean to stare but the old pony noticed. “I used to be a racer back in the day, I ran for a good number of years even when my daughter begged me to retire, but I didn’t listen and…well,” he shrugged. “It took a shatter leg and years of therapy to finally get me to retire, should’ve listened to my daughter sooner.”

His eyes took on a faraway look as they approached the red door, “I should’ve listened way sooner…”

Feeling uncomfortable Starlight walked ahead, pushing the red door open and looking outside, she spotted a pony from the staff and waved them over. “Excuse me, this gentlecolt here needs assistance to get back to the theater.”

The staff pony came closer just as the old stallion peered through the doorway, the bored expression she had been wearing dropped as soon as she saw him. “Oh, of course! This way sir, Miss Sparkle has been asking for you.”

“Yes, I supposed so,” the old stallion chuckled and extended his hoof towards Starlight. “Thank you so much for your help miss, it was nice seeing you, however briefly.”

Starlight took his hoof in hers, surprised by his strong grip despite his age. “Don’t mention it sir, have a great evening.”

“My evening’s great now that I have seen you.” He muttered and walked ahead, following the pony towards the theater.

She watched him, puzzled by his words, but didn’t linger and turned back towards the hallway at a quick pace. 

She made her way until she found the correct room, her smile widened and her heart rate increased slightly as she knocked on the door. She heard a familiar voice calling out, followed by some shuffling of hooves before the door swung opened, his questioning expression quickly turned into joy when he saw her, his smile turning into a boyish grin.

“Starlight, you made it!” He said, opening the door fully to see her.

“Of course, wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

She meant it as a joke, but she did a poor job of hiding the truth behind the statement, she realized this too late when she saw the surprise flash in Sunburst’s eyes. It was gone as soon as it appeared and then he was looking at her with such warmth that it made her blush. The fact that he was wearing a suit didn’t help at all. Sunburst looked dashing in his navy-blue jacket, black shirt, and undone tie. Even his mane had been brushed and styled for the occasion, it curled along the right side of his face and reflected the golden light of the room behind him.

Starlight looked away, feeling the warmth rapidly traveling up her neck to her face. Sunburst noticed the blush despite her efforts to hide it and he resisted the urge to tease her, he cleared his throat instead and stepped aside from the doorway.

“Please, come in.”

Starlight stepped inside the room. It was small and had very little furniture, an unassuming couch with a coffee table in the center and a vanity mirror nailed to the other side of the room, just a simple, comfortable room to wait until it was showtime. There was a mess of papers and notes scattered on the coffee table and Sunburst hurried to gather them into a neat pile.

“I’m sorry for the mess and my untidy appearance,” he said, placing the pile of papers to the side without paying attention to the order in which he stacked them. “I got sidetrack with reading my notes that I forgot to get ready.”

“I should be the one apologizing, I didn’t mean to interrupt your work—” she stopped when Sunburst touched her raised hoof gently.

“Please, don’t,” his smile was tender, which was on odds with the quiet fire burning behind his eyes. “I was the one who asked you to come…because I wanted to see you.”

The blush reappeared with a vengeance and there was no hiding it this time. His words reignited her inner conflict, aggravated by Double Diamond’s words that morning: her mind telling her not to fall for his sweet words while her heart was dancing with joy, she was torn on who she should listen to… however, she would be lying if she said she hadn’t been looking forward to seeing him too. She smiled bashfully and avoided his gaze, her eyes landing on his loose tie. 

“I…At least, let me fix your tie,” she said and gently pulled her hoof loose from his grasp, smoothing the slight wrinkles on the lapels of his jacket.

He let her go and stood still while she worked, using her magic to tie the knot and adjusting to her liking. Starlight was a little clumsy at first—the last time she did this was when she was twelve years old and it took her a moment to remember the motions—but it wasn’t just her faulty memory that made her uncoordinated. She could feel his gaze on her as she worked, and Starlight kept her eyes on his tie instead of looking, fearing what she would do if she met his gaze head-on while she grappled with her inner conflict—she might do something stupid.

She finished fixing his necktie and reached out to smooth the slight wrinkles she found there, it was unnecessary but she wanted an excuse to touch him for a little longer. Sunburst took the opportunity to hold her hoof in his again, and Starlight looked up to see regret in his expression.

“I want to apologize for leaving this morning…”

“Oh, it’s fine,” Starlight said quickly and did a poor job of hiding her disappointment.

“I didn’t want to wake you since you only arrived the day before, you must have been exhausted,” he said and then smiled cheekily, “besides, you looked so cute sleeping, I didn’t have the heart to disturb you.”

Starlight huffed and lightly jabbed his chest with her hoof. “So, I don’t look cute right now?”

“Well, let’s just say I can’t wait to be your husband,” Sunburst said and leaned forward, nuzzling her cheek with his muzzle. The implications of his words weren’t lost on her, and she felt flattered and embarrassed at once, still, Starlight giggled and returned the gesture. “Starlight?”

“Hmm?”

“Can I hold you?”

Starlight was confused but nodded all the same. “Sure.”

His front legs wrapped around her withers and drew her closer, she didn’t hesitate to return the gesture, wrapping her slender forelegs around his neck, pressing her chest against his broader torso. Her eyes slid close on their own accord, letting out a content hum as she felt his warmth slipped through the thin fabric of her evening gown. Standing this close she could even smell his cologne and his natural scent, the same scent that had lulled her to sleep the night before and it startled her how familiar it was to her now, how comforting his touch was, how right it felt to be held like this. It would probably sound silly to those on the outside, but for her, it wasn’t, it was something precious and sacred, and she hoped that Sunburst felt the same way.

“I missed you…” Sunburst said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Was he talking about this morning? The week they spent apart after the engagement party? The month of silence after their first meeting? She wasn’t sure, but for her part, she missed him during those times as well.

“I missed you too.” And she meant it.

Double Diamond’s cutting remarks came back to her, and she held him a little tighter. Although she knew that his words had stemmed out of jealousy, there had been a sliver of truth behind them: there was so much she didn’t know about Sunburst, there was no telling what he hid behind those gentle eyes. However, instead of feeling despair, a feeling of determination filled her; she would take the time to get to know him, to be the kind of pony he could trust, there already was something between them that was steadily growing, she felt it last night as she slept by his side and she hoped this feeling never went away.

A knock on the door made them jump and they let each other go like they were teenagers being caught doing something shameful. Sunburst went to answer, greeting a member of the staff that told him they would start in fifteen minutes, he nodded and assured them he would be ready by then. He closed the door after that and went back to the couch, sitting next to her as he gathered his papers. 

“Are you nervous?” Starlight asked, leaning in to read over his shoulder. “There were a lot of ponies waiting to get in.”

He shook his head. “Not really, I’ve done this before, though it is the first time I’ve used the library’s theater, considering all the important ponies coming tonight I can see why they let me used it.”

“That means my grandfather is in the audience tonight.” She said, slumping in her seat slightly. With all the drama she experienced that morning, plus getting ready for this event, she had forgotten about him. 

Noticing the sadness in her tone, Sunburst reached out and wrapped a foreleg around her shoulders, bringing her closer. “Yes, but he also has his private balcony and I’ve already talked to him, he’s with his family tonight so he won’t bother you.”

“Does he know about us?”

“I haven’t told him; I wasn’t sure you would be comfortable with him knowing.”

“I don’t know,” Starlight sighed. “He probably knows everything by now, besides, we haven’t been exactly discreet with our engagement.”

She giggled at his blush; she felt his hoof hold her tighter for a moment before his gripped relaxed somewhat. “Speaking of which, do you want me to stay over tonight?”

She laughed, lifting her head with a grin, but paused when she saw the hint of seriousness in his eyes. “I don’t think is necessary.” She answered after a moment. 

“Are you sure?”

Starlight chuckled, sitting straighter and forcing him to let her go. This was the first time Sunburst had been so insistent with her, he usually just accepted whatever answer she gave him; but now it seemed he hoped she changed her mind, it was endearing and she almost felt bad for refusing him, still she smiled and patted his shoulder.

“Sunburst, I’ll be staying at the Empire for a whole month, you’re going to be sick of me by the time I have to leave.”

“Doesn’t mean I don’t want to spend as much time as I can with you.”

“Let’s talk about this later, ok?” she said, giving him a look that told him she understood. “If I’m going to meet my grandfather, I want to do it with a clear head.”

“Have you made up your mind?”

She nodded. “I need to confront him, not just for my sake, but for my mother’s as well, she’s no longer here to look for that closure, so I decided to do it in her place…” A worried frown appeared on her face. “Still, I don’t know what he wants from me, and I can’t help but be anxious about it, I hate going into this with no preparation.”

“Maybe you don’t have to,” He said gently, petting a loose strand of her mane to the side. “He often comes to my workplace to speak to me and my team so I know him well, well enough to even know where he lives, I can take you there when you’re ready.” 

She looked at him strangely and took him in a hug. She was still anxious about her grandfather’s intentions, but knowing that Sunburst would be there, offering his support and knowledge, made her feel like she could do it without breaking down. “Thank you.”

“Anytime.” He said and hugged her back.

She snuggled deeper into his embrace, and she was reluctant to let him go when they heard a knock on the door. “Mr. Zenith, you’re up!”

“Just a minute!” He called out and they both stood up. “Let’s have dinner after the presentation, to make up for yesterday.”

She nodded, smiled, and leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. “Good luck.” 

* * *

Sunburst walked to the podium, nodding towards the crowd as they stomped their hooves politely, making his way towards the stage. His eyes sought Starlight and found her sitting close to the front, he couldn’t repress his smile when he met her eyes and he started his presentation with a giddy feeling in his chest. Behind him, a magical projection showed the audience the latest discoveries and historical information he and his team had managed to uncover from the archives.

He didn’t stutter or act nervous as he spoke, knowing the material he was working with like the back of his hoof, but he couldn’t help but smile when he got to the love letters of Princess Mia Amore Cadenza VI to her fiancé Luminous Shield. Their marriage had been arranged for them, but just before war broke out in the empire and Luminous Shield was sent to war, they had fallen in love. The letters they uncovered from the library dated from that time, providing an important testimony of that era and their relationship.

Needless to say, Sunburst identified and understood Luminous Shield now more than ever when at first, he hadn’t. As he read certain excerpts of the letters, his mind pictured Starlight instead of the princess, for the captain had managed to put into words what Sunburst was feeling. 

“I could imagine no duty greater than tending to you, my love. You make me half-mad with a gaze. Drunk with a kiss. You tear me apart with your words, and I heal again by your touch.” Sunburst read to the crowd, briefly searching for her as he changed the page.

When Sunburst woke up that morning by her side, he’d been captivated by her beauty. Well, she hadn’t been beautiful like the mares in magazines, with her messy mane, her lack of makeup, and her soft snores, but Sunburst found himself staring intently, his heart filled with fondness and a reluctance to look away. As he stared at her sleeping face it struck him that…this would be what he would see every morning, this would be the pony that would be by his side for the rest of his days, messy mane and all.

He continued reading. “Sometimes, when you look at me, there is a fear in there like I may vanish before your eyes. Let me remind you, I am not a pony. I am nothing but yours. I will not leave. I am not weak enough to abandon a princess amongst stones.” 

But even that could change too. Working with ancient artifacts and texts had taught him that time was unforgiving and that no pony—no matter how powerful—could escape from its touch, and it made him wonder how would she change with the years. He could picture her: gray hair peppering her mane, wrinkles on her face, and moving around in a walker, but he couldn’t imagine her acting any different than she did now. He hoped that, no matter what, she would remain the same independent, humble, driven, and a hardworking mare that he knew.

His lips curved into a smile, admiring the young smiling face looking at him from the sidelines, sitting next to a yak. If only she knew that the paragraph he just read was meant for her and her only, but he also didn’t want to scare her with the force of his passion. He had to be patient, wait for her to realize, no matter how it teared him up inside to do so. 

The moment was broken by the thunderous applause he received, realizing that he had reached the last slide of his presentation. He nodded towards the crowd before getting off the stage, ceding the podium for the next speaker. 

Starlight looked so beautiful, dressed in a light blue dress that wrapped around her curves perfectly. It took every ounce of his willpower not to walk over, kiss her, and never let her go. Still, all he could think of was: 

_She will be my wife. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thank you so much for those that left kudos and especially comments, it brightens my day every time I receive them and keeps me motivated to write this story, you guys are the best! I hope this chapter cheers you up during these times, please stay happy and safe.


	6. swept the pride away and forgive

Starlight’s morning began horribly.

First, Starlight woke up late—she had slept pitifully that night, tossing and turning and jolting awake by the nightmares that accosted her—later than she intended and she had to rush through her morning routine to make up for the time she lost. Then, when she was halfway out the door, she realized that it was Saturday, she didn’t have work today and that she was wearing the wrong outfit.

She groaned and turned sharply on her heels to get back inside, closing the door behind her with a bang, only for her tail to get caught in the door. After a few minutes of screaming and cursing, she extracted her tail from the door and calmed down enough to truly prepare for the day. 

And to think she had been so confident when she asked Sunburst to take her to meet her grandfather, but there she was, frantically brushing her mane and tail while she glared at the mirror. She supposed it was her fault for postponing the meeting for two whole weeks, but she had been busy with the company and trying to get her bearings in this city, and though Sunburst had been helpful he also proved to be a wonderful distraction.

Taking a deep breath, she relaxed her features and applied a light coating of makeup, but a tiny smile appeared on her face as she did so. Her workdays were uneventful, she spent most of her time in her office, reading reports and signing documents, meeting with clients, and occasionally supervising the warehouse. She spoke to the staff whenever she could, asking them how they were or simply making friendly conversation, but she made sure to avoid Double Diamond, and it seemed like he was avoiding her as well. It saddened her that their friendship had come to this, but with their fight still fresh in her mind, it was for the best they kept their distances.

She spent her lunchtime with Sunburst, sometimes meeting at a restaurant that was halfway between his workplace and hers or eating on the bench in the nearby park when the weather permitted it. For the most part, they talked about their day as they ate, sometimes so much they forgot to eat, other times they simply sat in silence, enjoying each other’s company as they watched the world go by, and she appreciated those quiet times more than she could say since it allowed for a moment of peace in her hectic lifestyle. 

But the best part of her day was when the work was over and he was there again, ready to escort her place. However, he never took the straightforward route to her apartment, instead of taking her the long way around, through scenic streets and off beaten paths that she would never have taken on her own, stopping along the way for window shop or to have an early dinner in a small restaurant only the locals knew about. Such excursions meant that they would return to her apartment rather late and she always felt bad for Sunburst, who insisted that he would be fine walking himself home. He never asked her if he could stay and she never offered, no matter how much she wanted to do, she didn’t want to create more problems for themselves than they already have. 

Starlight inspected her work in the mirror and nodded, relieved to see that the makeup hid the bags under her eyes before she turned away and started dressing. She picked this outfit for the occasion, not because she wanted to make a good impression, but to show to her extended family that she had thrived in their absence, appearances were everything when it came to ponies like these. Once she was done, she stepped back from the mirror and looked at her reflection with a critical eye, to make sure she wasn’t missing anything and that nothing was wrong.

There was a knock on her door, startling her for a moment before she glanced at the clock.

“Just in time,” she murmured to herself, and she looked in the mirror again, noticing that she was missing some jewelry, but she didn’t want to keep Sunburst waiting, so she opted to greet him first.

Yesterday he agreed to take her to her grandfather’s house and since it was on the outskirts of the city, they would have to take a carriage to get there. If Starlight was being completely honest his reason for going was to act as her emotional support than an actual guide, which she was grateful for, she doubted she would have been able to do this on her own. 

She went to her apartment door and opened it with a smile before quickly turning away, “Hey, Sunburst, please come in! I’m still not ready so make yourself comfortable, I promise I won’t be long!”

Without waiting for his response, she hurried back to her room, putting on a simple necklace with a golden pendant in the form of her cutie mark and giving herself another once over before she nodded at her reflection. She went back to the living room, smiling as she spotted Sunburst standing somewhat awkwardly in the room.

“What’s the matter? It’s not the first time you’ve been to my place.”

“Uh, no, I’m sorry,” he said quickly, looking away with a blush. “It’s just…you look very nice.”

Starlight laughed, covering her muzzle slightly with her hoof in a vain attempt to hide her blush. She couldn’t understand how he could turn her mood around with a few words, but she wasn’t complaining and she felt herself relax. “I’m flattered, thank you,” she said and gave him a playful wink. “You don’t look half bad yourself.”

“Well, I wouldn’t want to embarrass myself in front of my fiancée’s family,” Sunburst looked up with an embarrassed grin, unconsciously patting his rebellious mane. “Are you ready?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” she admitted and turned to look at the mirror nailed to the wall of the living room. “But what do you think? Is it too much? Should I add something else?”

“Starlight, you’re asking the wrong pony when it comes to fashion, you could be wearing a potato sack and still say you look wonderful.”

Starlight sighed but nodded, turning away from the mirror to asked him something, but the question flew out of her mind when he stepped closer and brushed his hoof across her cheek gingerly like she was something precious. He looked down with tenderness, speaking softly like he was uttering a secret, even if they were the only ones in the room. “You look beautiful, Starlight, and I mean it.”

And in his eyes, she was. Especially when she looked up to him with her wide blue eyes and the blush dusting her cheeks, when she beamed and laughed at his silly jokes; when she spoke with conviction and with fire in her eyes; when she sat quietly and looked at the world in soft contemplation. She looked wonderful with makeup and jewelry, but only because it accentuated what already was there. 

Taking his words as a challenge, she smiled coyly and took a small step forward, just enough to close the distance between them ever so slightly. “Really? But I believe it’s only because I have a handsome stallion next to me…”

His eyes widened slightly behind his glasses. Although her tone was teasing, he saw her checking him out with her eyes as she spoke, and it seemed that she truly liked what she saw. He chuckled slightly and pressed his forehead gently against hers. “Now…who’s the smooth talker?”

“Only because I have an excellent teacher,” she rubbed her nose playfully against his with a giggle, a warm feeling spreading inside both their chests.

“Oh dear, I have created a monster.”

“A really cute one, don’t you think?”

They both laughed and somewhere in between their giggles their hooves found each other, and they intertwined gently as their laughter settled into silence. They didn’t step back or spoke for a while, finding the closeness comforting. Neither of them would have dreamed of this peace two months ago, but there was no denying that they had been growing closer as the days passed. They found delight in each other that they haven’t found in any pony else and—despite not sharing all the same interests—they truly enjoyed being together, learning together, sharing experiences, simply being with the other was more than enough for them.

Well, it had been enough for Sunburst, until now.

He spoke up softly—loathing to break the silence and trying to do so gently—but there was intent mixed with longing in his tone as he asked. “Starlight…can I kiss you?”

Starlight knew right then that he didn’t mean a kiss on the cheek or the forehead, but an actual kiss that was only shared by lovers. It would be their first kiss and though the location or time wasn’t especially romantic, Starlight couldn’t find it in herself to refuse him, because she’d been wanting to kiss him for a long time as well. She blushed but smiled as she answered him. “Yes.”

Sunburst leaned down and closed the small space between them, his lips found hers easily and pressed against her lips gently. Her heart jolt inside her chest despite its gentleness and Starlight pressed her hoof against his chest to steady herself, leaning her head slightly to the side as she deepened the kiss. Sunburst eagerly responded and his hoof found its way around the back of her head, bringing her as close as he could.

The motion startled her and she flinched. His eyes flew opened and he let her go, taking a step back as a blush spread from his cheeks to the tip of his ears. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry—!”

“N-No it’s okay!” She said quickly but paused, looking down at the ground with a sheepish grin. “I really like it…”

“Y-You did?”

She nodded and looked up to see his wide eyes, his expression a mixture of shock and boyish eagerness. “It was nice…more than nice, actually…”

“Then…can I kiss you again?”

Starlight opened her mouth and then glanced at the clock, her expression turning disappointed. “Maybe later, when we aren’t running late.”

He turned to look and he winced at the time. “Yeah, we should go.”

* * *

They walked down the stairs in a hurry, and by the time they made it down the blushes on their faces disappeared. They entered the carriage and Sunburst gave the carriage pony directions, once Starlight settled on the carriage’s seats it began to move with a jolt, Sunburst sitting beside her shortly after.

“They cleared the snow from the roads earlier today, so we should be at Star Pointer’s house in half an hour or so.”

“Oh,” Starlight said with a disappointed tone. “Lucky us, I guess.”

He put a hoof over her shoulder and pulled her gently towards him, she let herself fall to his side but her downtrodden expression didn’t dissipate. “Am I doing the right thing, Sunburst? I know you said he wasn’t a bad pony but…he still cut off my mother and never bothered to see me until now, what would he want with me after all this time?”

“I wish I knew,” Sunburst said. “You should hear him out at least, right?”

Starlight sighed and nodded, moving the curtain gently to the side, she saw the snow-covered streets of the Crystal Empire roll by. The rest of the ride was silent but she was comfortable since the hoof never left her withers and she didn’t bother to brush it away. The scenery turned slowly from urban streets with crystal-like buildings too something a little more rustic, with forests covered in snow and wide fields she assumed to be farmland in between, sometimes she would catch glimpses of big houses from the foliage but no ponies to occupy them.

At some point, she dozed off and she jumped slightly in her seat when Sunburst shook her shoulder. “We’re here, Starlight.”

“R-Right,” she said, blinking her tired eyes and hiding a yawn behind her hoof.

He helped her down the carriage and her hooves landed with a crunch on slightly muddy soil and loose gravel, her eyes followed the path and she craned her neck to see the mansion sprawling in front of her, a massive three-story building made out of grey and white stone unlike the colorful crystal of the city, surrounded by an expansive garden covered in snow, the building was taller than it was wider, its gable roof covered in a light layer of snow and she could see the dark brown tile hidden underneath. All the windows curtains were closed and Starlight saw no movement from where she was standing, and she secretly hoped that no pony was home. 

A tall archway marked the entrance, closed shut by two green doors with metal accents, and her attention was drawn by the metal coat of arms nailed on each door: an arrow inside a circle, pointing towards an eight-pointed star on top of the circle.

She heard a pair of hooves stopping beside her and she turned to look at her side with a grim smile. “Well, this is it.”

He nodded and offered his hoof. “Shall we?”

She took it without hesitation and they walked towards the entrance. If he hadn’t been there, Starlight would have probably turned back and run back to where she came from. Her dread only grew as they stood in front of the double doors, her horn glowed as she grasped the golden knocker in her magic and she looked at Sunburst, her hoof trembling as she squeezed his. 

“It’s going to be alright,” Sunburst reassured her, squeezing her hoof in return. “I’m right here in case anything happens.”

She nodded stiffly and knocked on the door. There was no turning back now.

A few moments later the doors opened and a mare appeared, wearing a simple but clean grey and black dress with a white apron tied to the front, her dark blue hair tied back in a bun on the back of her head. She looked over the pair before her eyes lightened up in recognition once they landed on Sunburst.

“Oh, Lord Zenith, what a surprise! We weren’t expecting you today!”

Sunburst smiled and nodded. “My apologies for not announcing my visit sooner, I’m just here to escort my fiancée,” Starlight’s heart jumped when he said that word so casually in front of a stranger, “Lady Starlight Glimmer, she’s here to meet Sir Star Pointer.”

The maid’s face fell and she sighed. “I don’t think Sir Star Pointer can entertain any guest today.”

Sunburst and Starlight froze, exchanging a look of confusion before turning back to the maid. “But he was fine two weeks ago, at the presentation.”

“And that was the last time he was fine,” the maid said and opened the door a little wider. “Please come in, I’ll announce you to Lady Velvet and she can fill you in on the details.”

The inside of the mansion was even more opulent than the outside. Their steps were muffled by the burgundy carpet that covered the stone floor, the walls were painted a soft yellow, accentuating the dark wood stairway that led to the second floor, but instead of going up the maid turned left and gestured into a room at the side of the stairs.

“Make yourselves comfortable while I fetch the Lady.”

The maid bowed and left the room, leaving them alone in what appeared to be the mansion’s sitting room. Sunburst didn’t hesitate to take a seat, pulling out a book from the coffee table and he read as he waited, Starlight was too jittery to sit down just yet and instead walked to the window, rolling the curtain aside to gaze at the winter landscape.

“I have the strangest feeling that I’ve done this before,” Starlight said suddenly. Sunburst looked up, the confused look on his face making her giggle. “I mean, being left in a room to wait to meet an important pony I’ve never met before, sounds familiar?”

“Oh, right,” Sunburst chuckled. “And I’m sure the result of this meeting will be just as positive.”

“At least one of us is thinking positively,” she said, taking a seat next to him on the couch. “Were you this optimistic when you met me?”

“Well, to tell you the truth I was—Look out!”

Starlight yelped when she saw a blur of pink and purple heading straight for her, she didn’t have time to move away before it landed heavily on her chest, she tried to push it away but its wings were flapping against her face, disorientating her before she fell off the couch. Sunburst tried to catch her but only ended up falling with her. Her head hit the carpet floor with a thump and she winced then gasped when his body fell on top of hers, his weight pushing the air out of her lungs.

Disoriented and in pain, it took her a moment for her eyes to focus on the white plaster ceiling with flower motifs, and Sunburst looking down at her with wide eyes.

In the scuffle his glasses had fallen off and landed somewhere beside her, forgotten, and she had an obstructed view of his face and eyes; he looked younger without them, his eyes as wide and blue as the summer sky as they looked into her own. His weight pinned her down to the carpet, his chest brushed against hers with every breath that he took, his heart beating like a scared bird in its cage calling out to her fluttering heartbeat.

Maybe it was the bump on her head messing with her judgment, but Starlight couldn’t find the words to tell him to get off, or the will to push him away, every nerve in her body was tight with anticipation for his next move, and she was more aware of him and his body than ever before, so much that, when he leaned in—just a bit, barely an inch—towards her, Starlight’s breath hitched and caught in her throat— 

A series of childish giggles made them pause and something small but warm landed on Sunburst back, peering down from his shoulder to look at Starlight with big opal blue eyes. The pegasus filly gave Starlight a toothless grin before flying away on pink wings.

“Flurry Heart!”

The voice hit their ears like a bucket of ice water. Sunburst scrambled away from her and Starlight hooves kicked wildly in her panic, nearly hitting Sunburst a couple of times before she finally stood up, her clothes ruffled and her hair messy. While she gathered herself a unicorn mare walked in, her frazzled expression deepening when she spotted the confused couple and the flying filly circling over their heads.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!” she said, stepping inside the room. “Flurry Heart gets excited when we have company over, and it’s only gotten worse since she learned how to fly.”

Her horned glowed and a magenta bubble surrounded the flying filly, who cooed and giggled as the bubble gently pushed her down into the mares waiting hooves. The mare was pretty despite the dark circles under her eyes and the dull shine of her purple eyes, she looked a little young to be the filly’s mother, but Starlight told herself not to judge.

“That’s alright, babies can be a handful after all.” Starlight said, smiling in understanding.

“Tell me about it, I only babysit from time to time and I’m always on my wit's end when the day is over,” the mare giggled at the couple’s confused expression. “I’m Flurry Heart’s aunt, by the way, Twilight Sparkle, her parents are out in the city and I’m watching over her until they are back if you’re waiting for Shining Armor or Cadance.”

“Actually, we are here to see Sir Star Pointer.” Starlight watched as Twilight’s expression fell, causing her to pause before she spoke again in a more sympathetic tone. “I received a letter two weeks ago that he wanted to see me, but if he’s indisposed, I’m sure we can come back some other time.”

“I don’t think there will be a next time,” Twilight said quietly and with resignation, her bangs covering her eyes as she lowered her chin. “My grandfather…he’s very ill, he hasn’t left his bed in almost two weeks, and it’s only a matter of time until…”

Panic flared in her throat for a moment and she choked back a gasp, putting her hoof to her chest like it would ease the pain somehow. A heavy sense of dread sank into her stomach and she turned to Sunburst, who could only look back with surprise. They both had heard of the pony’s poor health, but they never imagined that the situation was this dire.

“B-But he was fine during the presentation,” Sunburst said before turning to Twilight for answers. “He even came to see me before it started.”

“His health was delicate even back then, I told him not to go but insisted anyway, saying that he wanted to meet some pony before he got too sick to do so,” she looked up at Sunburst and smiled sadly, “but at least he had a good time and he really enjoyed your presentation.”

A mixture of conflicting emotions battled inside Starlight—sadness, dread, confusion, regret—but none of them were positive, much to her surprise. For all the contempt she had for him, for all he had done to her mother, she couldn’t hold on to her resentment when she stared at Twilight’s forlorn face. If he had truly been wicked, his granddaughter wouldn’t look so remorseful. 

“Can I see him, Miss Twilight?” Starlight said suddenly, stepping forward. “He sent me that letter two weeks ago, and now I regret not coming sooner but I…well, I don’t want to excuse my actions I just want a chance to do the right thing.”

Twilight blinked as she stared at Starlight’s determined expression for a moment before she shook her head. “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name, you are?”

“I’m Starlight Glimmer, my mother was Aurora Glimmer, I’m not sure if—”

Twilight gasped, her eyes widened and filled with tears as she rushed to embraced her, Flurry Heart flying off her hooves like a startled dove before settling on Sunburst’s withers with a huff. Unprepared for the sudden affection Starlight staggered in the mare’s embrace.

“I can’t believe it’s you! Oh, I’m so stupid I should’ve recognized you sooner! Mother spoked so much about her sister, and you looked just like her in the pictures! Of course, you can see him, I think seeing you it’s just what he needs to feel better!” Twilight let her go, wiping her tears with her hoof. “Please follow me, we have wasted too much time already.”

Twilight led them up the wooden stairs and noticed a collection of pictures hanging from the walls leading to the second floor. The further up they went the ponies portrayed in them changed, it was like walking through time and catching glimpses of her ancestors, from ponies wearing stuffy collars and old-fashion hats, staring coldly at the camera, to ponies wearing more modern clothing and looking relaxed in their portraits.

Starlight gave most of these pictures just a passing glance until they rounded the corner and she was face to face with her own portrait.

At least, she thought it was at first, the mare in the picture was much younger, barely entering adolescence, but there was denying the resemblance: from the color and shape of her eyes to the waviness of her purple mane, to the smile she presented at the camera, it was the same image Starlight saw every day in the mirror. The hallway was silent as the group stared at the portrait, Starlight even more so, her breath caught in her throat and she wondered how her mother had been at that age, was she rebellious? Well mannered? Did she ever imagine that her daughter would be staring at her picture after she was gone?

A delicate hoof brought her back to reality, and she took a breath she didn’t know she needed, and Twilight smiled sympathetically. “Grandfather’s room is just this way.”

She guided them towards a door on the left side of the portrait, but before she opened it, she turned towards Sunburst. “I’m sorry Lord Zenith, but we can only allow one pony at a time in the room, grandfather is too frail to entertain more than one guest.” 

“But I…” he began, then he glanced at Starlight’s pleading expression and he deflated, nodding instead with a heavy sigh. “I understand.”

“He’s probably sleeping right now,” Twilight said, turning to Starlight, “sometimes he doesn’t remember where he is or what’s going on so don’t be surprised if he doesn’t recognize you, just speak to him gently and slowly, we’ll be in the next room over if you need us.”

Starlight nodded stiffly, putting a hoof on the door to push it open. Just then Flurry Heart, tired of being ignored, wiggled in her aunt’s hooves as she reached towards Sunburst. “No, Flurry, you’ve done quite enough today—hey!”

The little filly managed to slip out of her grasp and flew towards Sunburst with a giggle, who extended his hooves in preparation to catch her. “I guess we can look after her while we wait.”

“I’m truly sorry,” Twilight sighed and gestured Sunburst to follow. “Just this way Lord Zenith, I’ll have somepony to brings us tea.”

Before he followed her, he turned towards Starlight, and he hesitated for a moment before leaning over and kissing her gently on the cheek.

“Good luck,” he said and left.

Using all the courage she had, plus the little boost of confidence that his kiss gave her, Starlight pushed the door open. The room was quiet and somewhat dark, the curtains were drawn closed and diffusing the midday sun into soft lighting. She stepped in cautiously, closing the door as gently behind her, her hooves barely making a sound as she stepped over the dark wood floors, approaching the fourposter bed in the middle of the room. There was a chair next to the bed and Starlight took a seat gazing at the old stallion sleeping soundly against the pillows, she squinted against the darkness and her eyes widened with recognition.

“Wait, you are…”

The old stallion, who seemed to be drowsing before Starlight walked in, looked up at the sound of her voice and smiled. “Ah, I was wondering when you would drop by.” 

Though he looked paler and thinner, there was no mistaking the ocean green fur, and his blue mane streaked with gray, even if his mane was grayer since she last saw him. Though he was lucid, he had trouble keeping his eyes open, like he was fighting the urge to fall asleep, his breathing labored as he sat there, and his coat had lost some of his shine. When she glanced at the bedside table, she saw it was covered in medicine bottles. 

“Why didn’t you say anything in the hallway?” Starlight asked suddenly, causing the old stallion to chuckle.

“Well, would you have believed a crazy old pony claiming to be your grandfather on the backstage of the theater? You would probably call security the moment I did so!”

Starlight flushed, looking down at her hooves as Star Pointer laughed some more at her expense. “Don’t fret child, I was just pulling your leg, and to tell you the truth: I just wanted to see you before my illness got worse since Fancy Pants told me you didn’t look all that convinced when he handed you my letter, I got impatient and made excuses to go to Sunburst presentation.”

They both fell silent, the awkwardness of the situation finally caught up to them. There were a million things Starlight wanted to say, a million things she wanted to ask, she had no idea where to begin and judging by the troubled look in the stallion’s eyes, neither did he. Starlight squared her shoulders, taking a deep breath before she spoke up. 

“I only have one thing to say to you, I…I can never forgive you, for not seeing mother before she died,” Starlight and the words tumbled out of her mouth so quickly that she couldn’t stop them. “She left thinking that you hated her, I grew up thinking that I had no family left besides my father, and now you want to see me just to clear your guilty conscious before you kick the bucket? Forgiveness would not even begin to ease the pain that we went through, the pain of having your family shun you because they did something you didn’t approve!”

She realized that she was crying when her vision began to blur, she wiped them away, breathing hard against the distress that clawed at her heart, of old wounds re-opening and bleeding out the pain that never went away. 

“…That makes two of us.”

Star Pointer closed his eyes, taking a deep and slow breath that sounded more like a hiss of pain before he looked at her again, his eyes glassy with tears.

“Pride is a double edge sword, pride got me this far in life but it also cost me the most precious things, things that I regret losing even to this day,” he said, wiping his tears with a shaky hoof. “I can see it in your eyes that you have the same pride, you must not let it blind you, take it from me, an old pony who regrets not seeing his daughter live happily with the stallion of her choosing, who wasn’t there to hold his precious granddaughter when she came into this world, who only contacted her when his time drew near, and now has to die regretting the things he never did.”

Both grandfather and granddaughter sat quietly, the silence filled by the sound of the clock marking the time. Starlight didn’t feel triumphant or happy for what she said, but she didn’t regret the words and she felt like a weight had been lifted from her heart, making her feel hollow and somewhat disoriented like she didn’t know how to move without all that anger weighing her down.

Looking down, she saw that a box of tissues was nudging at her hoof, she took one and blow her nose.

“There, there,” said Star Pointer in a soothing tone. “You must have been sitting on that pain for a long time, it’s okay, just let it out, I promise I won’t judge or tell a soul about it.”

Starlight gave a watery smile, wiping her eyes with the tissue paper. “I guess I just wanted to show you that despite everything my mother thrived, and me too to an extent, but seeing you now…it…it feels like it’s not worth it anymore.”

“It is the greatest form of payback: nothing annoys your enemies more than seeing you happy…and nothing makes a parent happier than seeing their child happy.” Star Pointer said and leaned against the pillows. “I think that, deep down, every parent wants their child to be happy, and we do everything in our power to make it so, even going so far as to not listen to them, thinking that you’re in the right…I’m sorry, this must be all very boring to you.” 

“No, please, tell me more about her, what she was like when she was young? What did she do? What did she like? I was too little to listen to her so stories, so…”

Star Pointer smiled. “Well, there was a time when…”

She listened with rapt attention as he talked. Star Pointer was an excellent storyteller and by the time he was done Starlight had a whole new perspective of her mother, she felt a little closer to her, knowing what kind of pony she was growing up, hearing about her misadventures and achievements, she felt all the more real to Starlight than ever before. He shared with her stories about himself and his late wife, once he ran out of stories about her mother’s childhood. He told her stories that were so hilarious that she laughed until she cried, and solemn stories that made her cried until she laughed. Time passed, the sun disappeared over the horizon and forced Starlight to turn on the lights of the room so they could continue talking, and she was so unaware of it that— when Twilight poked her head in the room—she was blinded by the lights that poured from the hallway since the room was considerably darker.

“Grandpa, it’s time for your medicine.”

The old stallion frowned. “Always with the medicine, for once I would love for you to come in and say ‘it’s time for your cake!’ is that too much to ask?”

“Once you feel better you can have all the cake you want,” Twilight said with a roll of her eyes, but her smile softened the edge of her words.

“It’s getting late, you should stay the night.” Star Pointer said, catching Starlight off guard by the request.

“I don’t want to impose…”

“Nonsense, I won’t have my granddaughter out in the snow at this hour! The roads are very bad!”

Starlight looked at Twilight for some help, but the mare shook her head. “I have to agree, I’ll have the maids set up a room for you and another for Lord Zenith, but first,” Twilight brought in a small tray with a bottle of medicine and a glass of water on the top, “I won’t leave until you finish it, grandpa!”

The old stallion sighed and grumbled as Twilight handed over the medication, swallowing the pills in on go and taking a mouthful of water to pass it down, once he was done, he handed the glass back to Twilight with a petulant frown.

“Ugh, are you sure this is medicine? Tastes like mud and dirty diapers all nicely mixed together.”

“Grandpa!”

“What? You know I’m right!”

Starlight hid her smile behind her hoof, but then it turned into a yawn and she slumped slightly in her chair, the events of the day suddenly catching up to her and she wished she could just curl up in the chair like a cat and fall asleep. But she shook her head and forced herself to sit straighter, there was a lot of things she wanted to ask Star Pointer before the night was over.

Twilight left after that, promising to fetch Starlight once dinner was ready, so she could meet the rest of the family. She smiled at her cousin and thanked her for hospitality, making a mental note to talk to her more often, Starlight had always wondered what it was like to have cousins to play with, though she wasn’t a filly anymore, they could hang out instead.

Her grandfather looked tired and frail sitting on the bed, despite his efforts of trying to act otherwise, and Starlight felt a pang of guilt hitting her for keeping him up for so long. She stood up from the chair and grasp his hoof gently, catching his attention

“I think I’ll go and help Twilight with dinner.” She said gently, patting his hoof. “And I should check on Sunburst, he must be bored out of his mind by now.”

Star Pointer nodded. “Tell him I said hello.”

Before she left, the old stallion hesitated for a moment before he stopped her. “But before you do that tell me: do you really want to marry him?”

“W-What?” Starlight blinked in surprise; her hoof frozen on the doorknob like she been stricken. “Why do you say that? Did you know that we were—”

“Arranged? Yep, knew it for a long time, but couldn’t do anything until now.”

Starlight felt like a bucket of water had fallen on her head and she spoked even if she was afraid to ask. “Do what, exactly?”

“Offer you a way out of it,” he said without mincing his words. “This whole situation is indirectly my fault, being a merchant is a tough business even with a noble title backing you up. So, I offer you mine with no strings attached like it should have always been, now you can take your time or not go through with the marriage anymore. I’ll tell Twilight and the rest to accept you into the family and my name will support you in your business.”

Her legs felt weak and it took every ounce of her dignity not to sit down like a startled foal, though her expression was another matter. It took her a solid ten seconds before she could close her mouth and move past the shock, another ten to find her voice again.

“You don’t approve of Sunburst?”

“It doesn’t matter if I approve of him or not, I’m not the one marrying him.”

Starlight snorted, caught off guard by his words before she let out a laugh. “Sir Star Pointer!”

“What? It’s the truth!” He said with a grin before it softened into a smile. “And call me grandpa, will you? None of this noble nonsense with my own flesh and blood.”

“Alright…grandpa,” she said and was rewarded by the peaceful smile on his face. “Could you let me think about it? I want to consider my options before I jump into this.”

“Take all the time you need,” he said with a shrug, lying down on the bed with a sigh. “And do come back tomorrow, I got loads of stories to tell you about your mother.”

Starlight nodded, turning off the lights before she exited the room and closed the door softly behind her. She stood in the hallway for a moment, she was tired but felt accomplished, her head still spinning by the events of the day. To think that this morning she woke up with no other family besides her father, and now she suddenly gained a whole clan of ponies, even those whose images look down at her from the walls were her family, if she could she would have hugged and kissed every one of them and thanked them for having her.

But for the moment she settled for the family waiting for her in the dining room. She hurried down the hall with a smile, looking forward to the next day, and the stories her grandfather had yet to tell her.

Sir Star Pointer died the next day.


	7. my choice is you

Sunburst yawned and closed the door to his office, his keys jingling merrily as he locked it.

The sun was setting and the hallway of the History Research Department was covered in orange and yellow light, casting long and dark shadows on the floor and walls. There was no one but him in the area, as far as he could see. Most of his colleagues left earlier but he chose to stay behind, filling the time by reading and editing his research papers. It would be another cold night, he could feel the temperature dropping as the minutes rolled by, and he hoped that Starlight wouldn’t go out in this weather, or at the very least brought a thick sweater with her when she went to the Glimpse manor earlier that day.

He put the keys in the pocket of his coat before he walked away, letting out a dejected sigh. Sunburst had half a mind to go there right now and drag her back to his place to make sure she was alright. The death of Sir Star Pointer cast a deep shadow on his life this past few days and he wanted to be by her side, to hold on to the only bright light in the gloom. It was a selfish desire, one he was ashamed of having because the one who was suffering the most was Starlight.

Two weeks passed since the death of the old noble and during that time he hadn’t seen much of his fiancée. Sure, he was there by her side during the funeral service, but Starlight was absent in every way but body. She hadn’t spoken a word during the memorial, hardly seemed to notice the ponies around her, her face so carefully blank that it put him on edge, he would’ve rather seen her crying and screaming than have her so quiet and lifeless. Once it was over, she told him out of the blue that she would stay in the manor and speak to her relatives, wanting to know more about her family history.

Sunburst agreed despite his better judgment. Not that he distrusted the family, he was just worried about her, since it was obvious that Starlight was bottling up her emotions and he didn’t want to leave her alone when the blowup eventually happened.

He hadn’t seen her since then and he was worried, torn between reaching out to her and giving her the space that she asked for. All that he knew was that he missed her terribly.

His hooves took him to the middle of the lobby of the building and he stopped, staring at the picture of the stallion propped up by an easel, a black ribbon tied to the bottom of the frame, surrounded by flower arrangements and candles that lighted up the room in soft light.

His workplace had also been affected by his passing, Star Pointer was one of the most generous sponsors to their research. There been an air of uncertainty in the building ever since, everyone looking over their shoulder, wondering if this meant the end of their careers now that their primary benefactor was no longer with them. But Sunburst wasn’t thinking too much about his workplace when he stared at the picture, his mind went back to Starlight’s stony expression and helplessness squeezed his heart like a vice. 

“Sir Pointer,” he said quietly like he was saying a prayer. “Please, watch over her.”

The picture didn’t respond, but someone else spoke up.

“It really is a shame.”

Sunburst turned, slightly startled, but relaxed when he recognized where it was coming from. “It is.”

The mare gave him a sympathetic smile before turning her attention towards the portrait. Even in the low light of the candles, he could see the dark circles under her eyes, made even darker by the shadows her thick glasses cast over her face.

“How are you holding up?” He asked after the silence stretched for too long.

“Much better than yesterday,” she shrugged. “I thought that Sir Pointer would have left us high and dry when he died, and I would have to fire some ponies around here to make ends meet, but he left the Department a hefty sum to continue our work, so everyone is safe for the time being.”

“Oh!” Sunburst said with wide eyes before he grinned, he wasn’t entirely surprised by the news, but he was happy to hear it nonetheless. “Well, that is great news, Moondancer.”

“Yep,” she said and smiled. “I just found out this afternoon, I’m heading to the bar with the others to have a toast in his honor, would you like to come?”

“I—huh, I wasn’t planning on going out…”

“Come on, Sunburst!” Moondancer cut him off, stomping her hoof impatiently. “These last two weeks have been stressful on everyone; you need to unwind with the others! Besides, when was the last time you hang out with us? We haven’t seen you since your girlfriend came into town, is she that controlling?”

_“No,”_ he said quickly, almost angrily, but he stopped himself when he saw Moondancer’s startled expression, he took a breath and continued more calmly. “No, she’s not controlling at all, I just don’t get to see her that often and right now she’s going through a really difficult time.”

“Oh, right,” Moondancer nodded, looking sheepishly at the floor. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sound so insensitive, I guess I’m more tired than I thought.”

“It’s fine,” Sunburst said with a small smile. “And thanks for the offer but I’ll have to pass for now.”

Then he turned and made his way to the door, but Moondancer followed close behind him. “You’re headed for the market district, right? Let’s walk for a bit and catch up, we haven’t chatted in a long time.”

“We’ve talked all day.”

“But that’s work and we can’t talk comfortably without the everyone eavesdropping, I love working with everyone in the Department, but they can be awfully nosy.”

Sunburst chuckled as he held the door open for her. “It reminds me of our days in the Academy, except with fewer students and no teachers around to keep the order.”

“Gossip is just part of Equine nature I’m afraid,” Moondancer said as she stepped into the street, adjusting the turtle neck of her black sweater to cover more of her neck. “And everyone is awfully curious about your situation, so the gossip right now is who is this mystery mare that you are engaged too, some of the guys are betting that she isn’t even real.”

“_You _haven’t said anything, have you?” Sunburst said with an accusatory look.

“My lips are sealed,” she said seriously before she smiled impishly. “But I did join the betting pool since I know for certain that I’m going to win this time.”

They walked down the street towards the market district, Moondancer’s laughter covering his exasperated sigh in the dying sunlight.

Though his engagement was, by all accounts, a public affair—no thanks to his mother and her love for attention—he hadn’t gone out of his way to enlighten those who weren’t aware, only his closest friends and family knew about it, which in this case included Moondancer. She hadn’t been able to come engagement party due to her busy schedule as one of the managers of the Research Department, which was a shame because she was one of his oldest friends, going back to their days at the Academy. 

“And what about you?” Moondancer asked suddenly, once her laughter died down. “You admired Sir Star Pointer, and you two were chummy a few months ago.”

Sunburst sighed. “I’ll get by,” he said simply, but his head lowered slightly as he walked. “It’s Starlight I’m worried about.” 

Moondancer was silent for a moment, the sounds of the market district growing louder as they approached the busy streets. “If you want to talk about it, I’m all ears.”

“Thank you,” he said, though he was unsure if she referred to his feelings on the matter or his concern for Starlight before deciding to vent on both. “I’m sad that he’s gone, his love for history was only outmatched for his desire for knowledge and his charitable nature—if it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have finished my work on Cadenza VI—but we all knew how sick he was, we saw it coming and had more time to prepare for it. Starlight didn’t and she’s having a hard time coming to terms with what happened.” He let out a frustrated sigh. “I haven’t seen her since the funeral, and now she spends all her time in the manor and I’m worried.”

“You said she’s with her family, which is probably the best outcome in this circumstance, so what are you worry about?”

They reached the edge of the market district, the noise of the crowd was loud and overbearing, strong enough to drown out the noise inside his head but not enough to quell the dark feelings in his heart. He shook his head as if to wave away her question, but in reality, he couldn’t bring himself to speak, because he was ashamed of the selfishness of his answer.

These dark thoughts started ever since Starlight received that letter from her grandfather. He had a suspicion as to what the old stallion wanted, but Starlight had been so confused and stressed that he kept quiet about it, not wanting to worry her with his speculation. Then when Star Pointer came to see him before his presentation it all became clear. That last meeting with him had felt different from the previous ones. Star Pointer had been friendly enough, but his questions and comments were more direct than usual, almost harsh, and severity in his eyes that had put him on edge.

He’d been assessed somehow and he didn’t know what the old stallion’s verdict was.

Moondancer put a hoof on his side and brought him back to the present, she was smiling and Sunburst tried to imitated it, but the gesture was half-hearted at best.

“I’m sorry, I have a lot on my mind right now.”

“You always have something on your mind,” Moondancer chided. “I just wish you share those thoughts once in a while.”

There was a quip on the tip of his tongue, and he looked up across the street to see if they could cross yet. Then his world stopped and all he could see was a pair of royal blue eyes. She was standing across the street, looking at him like she’d seen a ghost, making him drop his smile as concern washed over him. 

“Starlight?”

Sunburst’s worst nightmare came true when she turned tail and ran. 

* * *

_Earlier that day._

“Alright, this should be the last of them.”

Starlight paused in her reading, looking up to see Twilight carrying another pile of books in her magic and dropping them on the table with a thud, she bit back a groan and looked away so Twilight wouldn’t see her dismay.

She was grateful for Twilight’s help when she expressed her interest in their family’s history, but she couldn’t have predicted how her cousin would go overboard with the task, for the last few days Twilight went into excruciating detail about their ancestors, bringing out books and records and expansive maps of their family trees as visual aids. As fascinating as it was Starlight was overwhelmed by the amount of information and she was starting to regret asking Twilight for help on the matter.

But her annoyance was nothing compared to the overwhelming joy of having an extended family for the first time in her life. Her father had been an only child, and his parents died long before Starlight was born, leaving Starlight with very little familial connections growing up. Though the first meeting with her family took place under unfortunate circumstances, the way they received her with such openness almost made her cry. And some tears had been shed during her time in the Glimpse manor, from paying respects to the old stallion that gave her so much in the end, to laughing at the stories of her mother’s antics growing up.

Though no one welcomed her more openly than Twilight Sparkle, and the quickness in which they bonded took everyone by surprise, it could be because they were around the same age, their shared grief of losing a family member and gaining a new one, or their peculiar circumstances bringing them closer, but there was no denying that in a matter of a few days they were as close as sisters.

“You two remind me so much of Aurora and me when we were your age,” Twilight Velvet said one day over tea, wiping a tear from her eye with a motherly smile. “Your timing couldn’t have been better Starlight; Twilight was very close to her grandfather and having a friend during this time of need is just what she needed…is what we all need.”

Starlight smiled but couldn’t help but feel like they were giving her too much credit. If she only came around sooner then maybe things could have played out differently, she thought.

She was brought back to the present when Twilight sat next to her, opening an old book and flipping its pages with an excited smile. “You will not believe what I found! I managed to find the oldest records of our family history, which date back to four hundred years ago! Isn’t that amazing!?”

“Four hundred years!” Starlight said, looking at the piles of books with a shock expression. “I had no idea the family was that old…”

“Grandfather…” Twilight began, her happy expression slipping for a second before it snapped back into place, “…he, hmm, he liked to keep record about these things, he was proud of our lineage and what our ancestors accomplished…maybe too proud.”

The library was spacious and very well lit, the curtains had been pushed aside to let the late morning sun through the glass and the room was warm without being uncomfortable, but as the mares fell silent—each lost in their thoughts—the coziness of the room was lost for a moment. The pain of Star Pointer’s passing was still fresh on everyone’s minds, even though the funeral had come and gone there was an atmosphere of sadness in the Glimpse manor that refused to leave, and the heaviest, darkest cloud hanging over Twilight despite her efforts of hiding it.

Starlight tried her best to cheer up her cousin, it was the reason she suggested this research in the first place, hoping that she could distract her by doing what she loved: reading.

Starlight opened the book, unfolding a piece paper pressed neatly in its pages, revealing a family tree that was drawn to look like an actual tree, expertly painted with vibrant green ink for the leaves and gold for the branches. She looked at the names listed in the tree, trying to pick a name at random for Twilight to explain to her, her eyes finding her mother’s name written in neat calligraphy. Starlight’s eyes widened with genuine curiosity as she spotted a thin line connecting her mother’s name with a name she didn’t recognize.

“Twilight, who’s is this Iron Cloud?” Starlight pointed at the name.

Twilight blinked and looked over Starlight’s shoulder, her confused expression only lasting for a moment before her eyes widened in surprise, making her lean back in her chair like she been shocked. “Oh, that…that is a mistake, I can’t believe he didn’t get rid of it...”

“What are you talking about?”

“Well, grandpa liked to keep a record of the family history, so every few years he would update the family tree,” Twilight frowned and scratched her chin thoughtfully. “I’m surprised he didn’t correct this, especially since it was such a huge scandal when your mother didn’t show up for the wedding—”

“The wedding?” Starlight said, sounding almost scandalized. “What wedding?”

Starlight’s confusion was mirrored in Twilight’s expression. “It was the whole reason why grandpa wouldn’t speak to her for so many years, didn’t Shining Armor or my mom tell you the story?”

“I didn’t know there was a story to tell!” Starlight said, trying and failing to keep her voice level.

“Hey, it’s alright,” Twilight said with a placating motion of her hooves. “It’s a really funny story, well, it’s funny now but back then it wasn’t, mom and grandpa were very upset for a long time and wouldn’t even mention what happened until a few years ago, Shining Armor was a young when it happened so he didn’t know all the details either, and when grandpa’s illness started to show he realized that it no longer mattered, but the Cloud family won’t even speak to us and it’s been over twenty years!” Twilight’s rambling stopped when she spied Starlight’s impatient look.

Twilight cleared her throat and continued. “Grandpa was a proud stallion, and honestly he had a lot to be prideful about: his lineage, his fortune, his lands, and his daughters. They were both talented in their ways, my mother showed a great interest in writing and the arts in general, your mother was a skilled magic user, he gave them the best education he could so they could develop their talents, even if it meant sending them to the Capitol to study in their respective fields.”

“And that’s where she met my dad,” Starlight said with a small smile.

She had heard that story countless times growing up, but now she could imagine how her mother must have felt at that time: growing up in a sheltered environment to suddenly being on her own, her whole life planned for her, only to be swept by her hooves by a young street smart stallion. Coming from different backgrounds their world views made them clash at first, but since they were willing to listen to what they had to say they grew to appreciate each other, from Aurora her father learned to appreciate culture and history, and from Firelight her mother learned to see the world through a different perspective.

Listening to Twilight, Starlight realized that she grew up with a sanitized version of their story, carefully edited to be suitable for a child’s ears. She wondered what other secrets her mother took with her to the grave.

“My mom tells the story better than I do, being a writer and all, but I’m sure you can imagine what happened next,” Twilight said, bringing Starlight back to the present. “Aurora came back from Magic School intending to tell grandpa about Mr. Firelight, only to be told that she would marry Lord Iron Cloud once she graduated. She didn’t object at first, but it was obvious that she was miserable with the decision, no matter how much my mom tried to cheer her up. However, the wedding plans went smoothly despite her lack of input and everything was ready when the day arrived. Mom, the bridesmaids, and grandma went to Aurora’s room to wake her up that morning to prepare for the wedding…but she wasn’t there.”

“No!” Starlight said, her eyes wide and grinning from ear to ear.

“Yes! The window was wide open and she even used a rope made out of bedsheets. Grandma fainted when she found out, grandpa wasted no time in tracking Aurora down and the Cloud family was furious, my mom and dad were the only ones trying to calm everyone down. Weeks passed and there was no sign of her when everyone started to fear the worst grandpa finally tracked her down in a little village called Sire’s Hollow, where she had eloped with Mr. Firelight.” 

“Grandpa mustn’t be too happy.”

“He was furious,” Twilight said sagely. “He had to practically drag her back home. Shining says there was a lot of screaming and crying during those days. Grandpa tried to convince her to divorce Mr. Firelight and Aurora refused until finally, he threatened to cut her off if she didn’t comply and well…”

“She didn’t,” Starlight finished for her and she slumped slightly in her chair. “And they never saw each other again.”

The mares fell silent again, Starlight’s mind reeling with all the new information she received. She was proud of her mother for standing up for herself, for doing what was right and choosing her path, then she was disappointed that Aurora didn’t give her that same chance and arranged a match for Starlight anyway, did she regret going against her family after all? 

_…every parent wants their child to be happy, and we do everything in our power to make it so…_

_…she wouldn’t have forced you into this if it made you unhappy in anyway…_

She took comfort in those words and smiled to herself. It didn’t matter what her mother did in the past, she only tried to protect her the only way she knew how, when she had no idea how strong and independent Starlight grew up to be. She guessed that ponies did crazy things for the ones they loved after all. 

Twilight stood up from her chair and looked to her side, pulling something from a bag she hadn’t noticed before. “Grandpa would have wanted you to have this,” Twilight said, handing her a package.

Starlight took it with her magic and looked at it curiously, it was small and light in her hooves, wrapped in simple brown paper and white string. She opened it carefully, tearing into the paper easier to find a wooden box, polished and caved elegantly with a golden latch sealing it shut, it clicked open when she pushed the latch and the lid popped open. Starlight’s eyes widened when she saw what rested in the red velvet interior.

“This is…Twilight, are you sure?”

Twilight nodded. “When he said to welcome you into the family, it wasn’t just an empty gesture.”

Starlight’s mouth was dry as she stared at the golden badge and wooden stamp resting perfectly in the box. The badge shimmer in the sunlight and it almost hurt to look at it, but Starlight couldn’t tear her eyes away until the noble symbol of the Glimpse family was burned into her retinas.

She had only seen a badge like this a few times, usually when she conducted business with a pony of noble heritage. A noble’s badge was an official identification of said status and it was just as important as a cutie mark was for individuals. From now on she could flash this badge to whoever questioned her ties to the Glimpse family, she could stamp her letters with this symbol next to her signature so she would be taken more seriously, she would officially be part of the family, she wouldn’t be the shameful secret anymore, she wouldn’t—

She wouldn’t have to marry Sunburst. 

A cold bucket of water poured over her head wouldn’t have shaken her as much as that thought did. She almost dropped the wooden box, but she held it tightly to her chest and tried to settled her racing heartbeat. The intrusive thought left as quickly as it came but it opened a whole slew of unwanted possibilities that this little box had given her.

For one it tipped the scales heavily in her favor; Zenith was an old and respectable lineage, but now that she had the Glimpse name, she wouldn’t need Sunburst anymore. 

She carefully put the box on the table, slightly dizzy as her mind was still racing with conflicting thoughts. “I…I appreciate this Twilight, but it’s just so…”

“Overwhelming?”

Starlight shook her head. “I didn’t come here for this, I didn’t ask to be recognized as his granddaughter, all I asked was for closure, so why did he leave me with this? Did he pity me that much?” 

Twilight put her hoof over Starlight’s trembling one, she hadn’t realized it had been shaking. “He had his reasons for doing things, but I highly doubt that he left you with this out of pity, maybe it was his way of making things right once he was gone.” Twilight glanced at her conflicted expression before she continued. “Starlight, what’s the matter? I know this was a surprise but I thought you would be happier about it.”

“I’m sorry,” Starlight said, taking a deep breath before continuing. “I don’t want to come across as ungrateful, it’s just that in my experience ponies don’t just give me gifts without reason, there’s always a reason.”

“Maybe the reason is that you’re his granddaughter and he wanted you to be happy?”

Starlight raised an eyebrow. Though their reunion had been short-lived, Star Pointer hadn’t struck her like a stallion who did things out of the goodness of his heart, not that he was malicious or manipulative, but it seemed that every action he took was for a purpose and his benefit.

It wasn’t the first time she had been presented with an expensive or tantalizing gift, she had been approached by shady groups wanting to use her trading routes to transport their illegal merchandise, offering her a hefty compensation if she agreed. But she always turned down their shady deals and called the authorities the first chance she got, for the risk far outweighed the benefits of such a venture, the trading company was her livelihood and she would’ve been stupid if she risked it all for a few extra bits. 

In her heart of hearts, she hoped that this wasn’t the case of her grandfather’s gift.

Twilight smiled reassuringly. “He left no other instructions except to give this to you, no if’s or but’s about it.”

Her cousin’s expression was sincere and Starlight relaxed slightly, though she regarded the box with some anxiety. “That’s nice of him, though I wish he left us with a more concrete reason as to why he would go so far for a stranger.”

“…If I may, I might have a theory.” Twilight said and hesitated for a moment before continuing. “When his illness began to worsen, he tried to fight it for a long time: he went to doctors, tried all kinds of therapies and medicines, diets, exercise, he did it all. We were all very worried by his manic behavior of staving off the inevitable, it took my mom several conversations to convince him to settle down and he only did when a particular medicine nearly killed him…it wasn’t a fun time, to say the least.”

Starlight shuddered at Twilight’s calm demeanor but saw her eyes darkened slightly as she recalled those troubled days.

She continued. “He did a lot of soul-searching the last few years, he spent his time staring at pictures of Aunt Aurora, writing a lot of letters and receiving a lot of letters in return…I think he was searching for you and wanted to see how you were doing without contacting you directly.”

“It took him so long to find me? I wasn’t exactly hiding during that time.”

“He had his reasons I supposed, but can you blame him? He was probably fearing you or your dad’s reaction if he suddenly came knocking, and he wasn’t that far from the truth in the end.” 

Starlight’s cheeks felt hot and she looked away to hide her embarrassment. 

“In the meantime, he most likely did some digging and found out about your…situation—” Twilight said, fumbling over the words, and Starlight wondered why she acted that way. She had never been embarrassed about her engagement. “—and probably saw that history would be repeating itself if he didn’t interfere, he wanted to offer you what he didn’t offer his daughter: his support in whatever you decided to do and give you the tools to do so.”

Starlight was speechless, and her mind went back to that final night with Star Pointer. He had said that he felt responsible for her situation, didn’t he? But Starlight had forgotten about in the aftermath of his death, and she still couldn’t believe he would do something like that, maybe part of her still held him accountable for what he did to Aurora all those years ago and would always resent him for that. 

“Oh,” was all Starlight could say after a long pause. “I didn’t think of it like that.”

Twilight took the box in her magic and held it her hooves, tracing her hooves over the smooth edges before she slides it over towards her cousin.

“So, what are going to do?”

Starlight balked. “You want me to decide now?!”

She laughed and held out her hooves in a placating manner. “No! I’m only curious!” Twilight laughed for a moment before her tone turned serious. “Just know that whether you take the insignia with you or not, you will always be welcome here, and to me, you’ll always be my cousin.”

“Thanks,” Starlight said with a genuine smile, the first one she showed in a long time.

She then looked at the wooden box, biting her lip in deliberation as she frowned. It was a little ridiculous how such a small thing could turn her world upside down, but big things do come in small packages, she supposed. After a few moments of hesitation, she took the box and stuffed it into her saddlebags.

“I have a lot to think about before I can truly accept this,” Starlight said, flashing a reassuring smile to her cousin before she turned to the door. “But for now, I’ll just go for a walk.” 

* * *

Starlight left the manor shortly after that, keenly aware of the box in her saddlebags and the meaning behind it. Instead of going to her apartment, she stopped the driver on a random street in the city. She wasn’t afraid of getting lost, she knew her way around the Empire by now. She wanted to think about all she learned that day and pacing around her empty apartment didn’t appeal to her at the moment. 

With the snow crunching underneath her hooves Starlight wandered the streets of the Empire, letting her legs carry her wherever they desired and her mind to pondered all she learned that day.

The parallels of her situation with her mother weren’t lost on her it gave her chills whenever she thought of it. She felt like she was standing in front of a mirror, peering into a reality where everything about her life was reversed: from her upbringing, the ponies that surrounded her, to the choices that brought her to wandering the streets of a snow-covered city. Starlight shivered when a gust of cold wind brushed her face, forcing her to readjust her scarf.

She stopped at a crossroads in a particularly busy street. It was getting dark despite the early hour—four o’clock by her estimates—but daylight hours were few compared to other cities further south. The lack of sun didn’t deter the daily lives of the ponies around her and they walked ahead, paying her no mind. No pony hesitated when deciding on the path they would take, was their destination so clear to them? Did they care at all? Why was she vacillating so much? It was just a road in the market district, a place she met Sunburst many times for lunch since it was close to his workplace if she followed the street to her left it would take her straight to it, while the one to her right would take her further into the crowd and other possibilities. 

She felt the little wooden box on her side, like a burning coal in her saddlebags. So many choices in front of her provided by this little golden insignia and Starlight felt dizzy. She’d been granted what her mother had cast aside, but should she follow in her steps? Call off this arranged marriage now that she had the resources? Would it disappoint her new family if she followed through with it? What would her dad say now that she was part of the Glimpse family?

What would Sunburst say?

The crowd parted and she saw a flash of red in the colorful mob, her eyes followed it without thinking and she felt her heartbeat against her ribcage like a frightened bird. It felt like ages since she last saw him—with all the chaos that her grandfather had brought into her life—and seeing him smile made her breath catch, making her realize how much she missed him. He was standing on the other side of the street, waiting for the traffic to stop so he could cross. And he wasn’t alone.

A pretty mare stood next to him, a little too close for Starlight’s taste, talking and laughing, casually touching him and Starlight felt something hot and hard coil in her stomach as she watched—her teeth clenching and hackles rising. Who was she to touch him like that? She had half a mind to march over there and put her in her place, and maybe yell at Sunburst while she was at it, feeling ridiculous for tying herself up in knots in her mind while he was out here flirting with other mares.

Then she realized something as she stared, her anger dissipating as quickly as it appeared. The mare wasn’t gorgeous and Sunburst wasn’t a handsome stallion by most standards—but they complemented each other. The mare had a sort of nerdiness quality to her, with her thick glasses and messy red hair tied in a lopsided bun, going in hand with Sunburst’s scatterbrained appearance. Just by looking at her Starlight knew this mare had more in common with Sunburst than Starlight ever did, others would look at them and think they would make a wonderful couple like they were made for each other. 

She felt selfish and ashamed of herself. Sunburst had also been thrown into this without his say, and she was standing in his way of finding a more suitable partner, forcing him to play nice with her for appearances. The gift her grandfather gave her would save two lives from joining in unhappy matrimony—and sure, maybe he would be hurt at first, but he would bounce back just as quickly if not immediately, judging by the mare’s lovestruck smile. It was probably for the best if she let him go. 

Then, why did she feel like she swallowed a ton of bricks?

Their eyes met and everything stopped, the world came to a halt, her ears filled with white noise and all she could see was him, staring at her with a surprised look on his face that quickly morphed into worry and confusion. Her breath quickened and her mouth felt dry, she tried to move but fear had turned her hooves into stone. Too many raw emotions ran through her. She was not ready to confront him yet, she needed space, she needed to get away, now!

His lips mouthed her name and Starlight shook her head, the spell on her hooves was broken and she ran, the world speeding up around her to make up for the lost time.

She took the street on her right and hoped to lose herself in the endless possibilities that the streets provided. 

* * *

Moondancer yelled in surprise when he ran off.

She wasn’t the only one. Other ponies yelped and shouted obscenities when he pushed past them, running around the corner to catch up to Starlight. He was only a few meters away from the street that she took, but at that moment an officer had stopped the carriages to let the pedestrians cross and he ended up running through the crowd at an awkward angle, with ponies accidentally shoving him towards the lane when he ran in front of them. But he hardly felt their shoves. 

_“Starlight!”_

When he finally got through the worst of the mob, he stopped for a moment, craned his neck, and tossed his head around, looking for a sign of her purple mane in the crowded streets of the district. It felt like an eternity passed before he finally managed to spot her, half a block away from him and walking further. 

He wasn’t an athletic pony by any means but he ran after her anyways, his lungs burning slightly as he pushed himself to move faster, calling out her name as he did so.

“Starlight, wait—did something happened—!”

“Just leave me alone!” She yelled from over her shoulder and picked up her pace.

“Not until you tell me what’s wrong!”

_“Everything!”_ She said angrily before she turned to her right and made a dive towards an alleyway, surprising him long enough for a street cart to cut him off before he could follow her.

Starlight might have the advantage of having a better physical condition, but he had the advantage of knowledge, which he used to follow her and predict where she would be. He knew where that street led to, and he wasted no time in running up the main street before he took another alleyway that connected to it. His lungs burned with the effort of running, which only got worse when the street began to rise and he was soon running uphill in a quiet residential area.

After a few blocks, he turned left and skid to a halt before he collided with Starlight, who yelped and backpaddled to avoid him, but she didn’t get too far since his hoof reached out to grab her and kept her in place.

They could see their breaths in the cold air, the two ponies breathing hard from their run, the only sound in the otherwise quiet street aside from their heartbeats pounding in their ears. Snow began to gently fall around them and Starlight shivered, she tried to pull her hoof from Sunburst’s grip, but only winced when he tightened his hold on her.

“No,” he said with a shake of his head, swallowing hard since his throat felt so dry. “Not until…you tell…me what’s…wrong.”

“N-Nothing, I—”

_“Nothing?”_

He looked up and she grimaced. His hair was messy and his glasses slightly askew, which only added to his livid expression. “I haven’t seen you in two weeks and you take off running at the sight of me? _How is that nothing!?”_

“It doesn’t concern you!” She said between clenched teeth and tried to pull away, but he was unrelenting.

“Yes, it does! You’re my fiancée remember? You can’t just do that and expect me to—!"

_“I can do whatever I want because I don’t have to marry you anymore!”_

The silence that followed was deafening. Sunburst let her go and looked at her like she’d slapped him, Starlight was so horrified with what she said that she covered her mouth with her hoof, and looked away, unable to handle the hurt expression in his eyes.

“I mean, _we_ don’t,” Starlight said softly as if changing the pronoun would make what she said less hurtful. “_We _don’t have to marry anymore.”

There was a long pause before he spoke up. “What do you mean?”

“Before he died, Sir Star—my grandfather,” she corrected hastily before she continued, “he recognized me as part of his family…and left me with a noble’s badge.”

She pulled the wooden box from her saddlebags and presented it to him. He didn’t take it, or try to open it, didn’t even asked for further confirmation as she expected. There was a flash of surprise in his eyes, just like she expected, but it was gone so swiftly that she wondered if she imagined it, and his expression settled to resignation as he pushed his glasses up his nose.

His gaze was completely blank as he nodded slowly—mechanically, the anger from earlier all but bleed out of his voice when he spoke. “I figured he would do that.”

“Wait, you knew?” The way he went from fuming to indifferent was giving her whiplash, sending her own emotions into chaos before she settled for anger, and she couldn’t keep it from her voice when she asked. “Then why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t want to get your hopes up,” he shrugged and his indifference droved a little knife into her heart. “I didn’t know your grandfather well enough to predict what he would do…but I guess I was right in the end.”

She opened her mouth but no words came out, making her look like she was a fish out of the water, and she felt out of her element. He’d never treated her like this, or spoked in such a cold manner, and Starlight had no idea what to do. Part of her wondered if maybe his kindness had been a front after all and this was who he truly was, recalling Double Diamond’s comments about noble ponies and their lack of sympathy. Her confusion left her floundering and silent as the seconds rolled by.

He must have taken her silence as agreement, for he took a step back and cleared his throat. “I congratulate you for acquiring the title Lady Glimmer, I wish you luck in your future endeavors.”

He nodded at her like she was a stranger on the street before he turned and walked away. He realized that he was going the wrong way, but he couldn’t bring himself to care, Starlight surely didn’t so why should he? She got the one thing he had to offer and he envied her freedom, her courage, and her drive. He did not doubt that she would succeed in whatever she put her mind too, whether he was there or not was inconsequential—and that thought cut deeply into his already bleeding heart. He’d believe for a moment that she’d cared, that she would allow him to be by her side. He truly was a sucker. 

“Sunburst, wait!” She yelled, the snow crunching underneath her hooves as she chased him. “Let’s talk more about this, at least listen to what I have to say!”

“You truly are a business mare, can’t have a loose end when closing a deal, huh?” He stopped in his tracks and laughed bitterly. “Don’t worry about it, I’ll speak to mother and tell her that it didn’t work out, after all, I won’t smear your name or speak ill of you if that’s what you’re worried about—"

“No!” She shouted, stomping her hoof in the snow. “Sunburst, that’s not what I want at all!”

“Then…” This conversation is getting away from him, he feels a headache forming in his temples and a sliver of hope in his chest. “What do you want?” He asks.

“I want…” She stops, takes a deep breath, and continues. “Sunburst…” her voice is low and full of longing. “I want to listen to you rant about history I know nothing about, and I want you to read me boring books until I fall asleep, I want to talk to you about magic and learn more about it from you. I want to make your coffee in the evenings and have you drink it even if you don’t like it. I want us to go for walks until I’m old and grey and you have to push me in a wheelchair. I want to wake up next to you every morning and watch your eyelids flutter when you sleep.”

He finally turns and stares at her with wide eyes, his heart hammering in his chest and his throat dry. Starlight’s expression is earnest and he can’t look away, all but mesmerized by the fire in her eyes as she speaks. 

She throws a hoof in the air. “But then my grandfather gave me this _stupid _box and Twilight told me about what my mother went through and then I saw you with that mare—I got overwhelmed. I was afraid of disappointing my grandfather, that I was following in my mother’s footsteps but in reverse, that you were only being courtly and romantic because you had too, while you were longing to be with a mare that understood you. And I get it, okay? We grew up with this hanging over our heads and now that it’s come you want—you want to have _‘fun’_ before you commit, but…but I don’t like it okay, it’s painful to see you with somepony else because I think we would be a great team and I just hoped that…” 

“Wait.” He holds up a hoof to stop her and these endless waves of confusion. None of this makes sense. What is she even saying? Where does he even start? “That mare from earlier was a family friend, and my boss too boot.”

Starlight blushed, her eyes growing with mortification as she stammered. “I…but the way she smiled…it looked like she _liked _you.” 

“She likes me as a _friend_,” he stressed the last word with all the conviction he could muster. “I’ve known her for a long time, but we never been more than that.”

“B-but, then, don’t you want something _more_ with her?” 

“No, because I’m in love with you!”

Another bout of silence, but this one filled with embarrassment. He could feel the heat rising to his cheeks, almost mirroring the color on Starlight’s cheeks, though it looked much more adorable an appealing on her than it probably did on him. If he weren’t so embarrassed, he would probably have kissed her senseless right then, and he longed to do it since their first and last kiss had been weeks ago and he missed her more than he wanted to admit.

“You love me?” She asked, sounding hopeful and afraid at the same time. 

He nodded. “When I first saw you at the manor, I was immediately smitten, you blew all my expectations out of the water and I couldn’t stop thinking about you after that. I thought I was going crazy, so much so that I impulsively went to see you before the engagement party, just to make sure I wasn’t imagining things—or that was what I told myself when in reality I just wanted to see you.” He paused to look at her in the eye. “I know that our meeting was decided without our say, but I wouldn’t have dreamed of finding a pony as amazing as you. Every day we spend together has been wonderful and I can’t bear the thought of going on without you in my life…if that isn’t loving, then I don’t know what it is.” 

Water gathered in the corner of her eyes. She blinked in a vain effort to keep them at bay, but her vision blurred anyway.

“So yes, Starlight, I’m in love you, have been for a while now…and if you let me, I would spend the rest of my life proving to you that I love you.”

Her cheeks glistened with tears, and she felt her doubt washed away with them. She had been so afraid, afraid that he didn’t care, afraid that she was the only one putting her heart on the line, especially since everyone around her doubted and prodded her if she was sure of going through with this marriage. It got to her without her realizing it. She hated herself for doubting him when he had done nothing to earn her distrust. She’d almost thrown away the best thing that ever happened to her: the joy of loving and being loved in return.

“I love you too…” she tried to say, but her chest tightened and she began to sob by the end of it.

But he heard her and his smile could have lightened up the city with its radiance. He closed the space between them with a few steps and embraced her, burying his snout in her mane and kissed the top of her head, murmuring words of comfort as he held her close.

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled after a while, her voice muffled from where she hid her face in his chest. “I’m usually not this…dramatic.”

“It’s alright, it’s been a crazy two weeks for the both of us.”

“Yeah,” she agreed, smiling when she felt his chuckle against her skin.

She looked up and their gazes met, no other words were needed as they joined their lips together in a kiss they so desperately needed. Starlight put a hoof over his chest to balance herself, while Sunburst hoof went to the back of her neck and brought her closer, and this time Starlight welcomed his movements with a sigh and a smile. Tenderly, their actions conveyed what they could no longer express with words, and the message comes across more strongly because of it. Gently, their lips savored the feeling before they slowly broke apart. Starlight smiled warmly.

She realized that she wasn’t that different from her mother after all: despite all the choices presented to her, she chose to be with the stallion she loved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hoped you enjoyed it because this chapter kicked my butt in more ways than one, with all the twists in turns I didn't predict while desperately trying to keep everything within the outline. Stay safe everyone and I hope to see you in the next chapter.


	8. promises to keep

The wind blew harshly in her face, drowning out the laughter that escaped her mouth.

“Sunburst! This is amazing!” 

She glanced back at where her fiancé stood, or more like where he clung to. The metal pillars that supported the rooftop of the passenger cabin was as far as Sunburst was willing to go, unlike her who leaned against the metal railing of the viewing deck, standing on her hind legs, sticking her head out as far as it could go and let the wind blow in her face and mane as the blimp flew through the skies. 

Sunburst nodded and flinched when the blimp swayed a little too suddenly for his tastes. “Y-Yeah! Please come back inside before this thing flips over!”

She wanted to argue that if that were the case it wouldn’t matter where she stood, but she kept quiet and decided to humor him—she was getting a little cold and her mane was a windblown mess by then. Starlight rolled her eyes and pretended to drag her hooves as she made her way to him, but dropped the act when she was within hoof reach and nuzzled her cold cheek against his. 

“There, are you happy now?”

“Very.”

They stepped back inside the passenger cabin, Sunburst closing the door behind them with a grateful sigh, the sudden silence made their ears ring now that the wind wasn’t howling at their faces. The passenger cabin was small when compared to the size of the blimp keeping them airborne, it wasn’t much wider than a train cart but it was more luxurious than one. Like a train, the seats were pushed to the side, leaving the middle free to walk around, but unlike a train cart the floor was covered in a polished dark wood, heated with magic that made the inside cozy, and the seats were wider, covered in soft red velvet for extra comfort, with wide windows on the sides offering a nice view of clouds that passed them by. 

Starlight preferred the view on the deck but was grateful for the comfortable seats when she sat down, her body sinking into the soft cushion after she scooted as close to the window as possible, watching Equestria fly by underneath her with an excited grin.

“I will never get tired of this view,” she said, leaning against the backrest with a sigh. “I almost don’t want this to end.”

Sunburst’s gaze was soft as he looked at her. “Yeah, me neither.”

“Thank you for doing this for me, I know that heights make you uncomfortable.” She said and then paused, looking at him with a pensive look. “But how did you get tickets for a blimp ride in the first place?” 

She told him not too long ago about her love of kites and aircrafts but was touched that he remembered that detail after all. When he invited her to go to Canterlot with him for the weekend, he surprised her with two tickets for a blimp ride taking off from the Crystal Empire’s new airport. The capital of Canterlot was high up in the mountains making it faster and convenient to take a blimp or a hot air balloon, with the added benefit that they would drop you off closer to the city’s center since the airport was closer to the city than the train station, but blimps and hot air balloons weren’t designed for more than a few passengers at a time, making such modes of transportation more of a luxury than an alternative. 

“I just happened to ask really,  _ really _ nicely to one of my aunts. At first, she said no, until I mentioned that it was a gift for you and she mailed them to me the next day. As for the height I can bear with it, as long as I’m inside and…” he put a hoof over her withers, drawing her close, “…with the right company.”

Starlight tucked her head under his chin with a giggle. “Sunburst, other ponies will stare.”

“They’re too busy out on the deck to pay us any mind…not that I care if they saw us, you’re my fiancée, I’m allowed to spoil you.”

She adored this new side of him, just like she was coming to adore every side of him that he showed her. Now that there was no longer any doubt about their feelings, they came to an unspoken agreement to express their affection more openly, kissing, hugging, hoof-holding while out in public, any pony who saw them would no longer wonder what they’re relationship was, and if any pony asked she no longer felt embarrassed to introduced Sunburst as her intended. 

Part of her wanted to scream about her love from the rooftops, while the other was too busy rolling around in mortification and glee, and since she couldn’t do either Starlight settled by doting on him as much as she could. 

She put her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, his hoof wrapped tightly around her shoulders, and she was at peace. So much so she began to nod off, and it took her a moment to realize that Sunburst was speaking to her.

“…Wait, what?” She said with a yawn. 

He paused and then chuckled, his shoulders sagging as in defeat. “Never mind,” Sunburst said, petting her mane gently. “But it looks like some pony’s tired.” 

“I’m sorry, I haven’t been sleeping much lately.”

“Is something bothering you?” He asked, a slight frown on his face as he pushed a lock of her rebellious mane to the side. “Trouble at work, perhaps?”

“No, no, work is fine,” she said airily. “I’ve been busy with other things as of late.”

With the wedding a few months away, Starlight went home restless every night after work. She hadn’t thought much about the ceremony or even begin to imagine all the things there was to consider: decorations, flowers, menu, the number of tables, guests, music, the list went on. The details of such an event were overwhelming, and it didn’t help that her mother-in-law send her a binder filled with notes and pictures of her ‘suggestions’ for the wedding, and Starlight was having a hard time liking anything that Stellar Flare suggested. 

She frowned slightly at the thought of the pushy mare. She would definitely be there, waiting for them in Canterlot, it was a family reunion after all, and Starlight was not looking forward to seeing her. Just remembering the overbearing way Stellar Flare acted during the planning of her engagement party made Starlight nervous for how the planning would go for the wedding. Some pony would get hurt, and she wasn’t talking about just their feelings… 

“Take a nap, I’ll wake you when we get there.”

Starlight ignored his suggestion. “Could you tell me more about your family? Or more like who will be there?”

Sunburst went quiet. He never spoke about his family, but she hadn’t asked him about it either. All she knew was that Stellar Flare was from a wealthy family and married the Duke Sunspot Zenith when they were rather young, they had Sunburst not long after the wedding and the Duke died tragically a few years later, leaving his estates and his debts to his young family. She could relate to the pain of losing a parent so young, but Sunburst never expressed remorse for the death of his father. Perhaps he’d been too young to remember. 

The silence stretched long enough for Starlight to shift uncomfortably in her seat, jostling his foreleg with her movements. He looked up almost startled like he forgot she was even there. He smiled apologetically and continued. 

“Sorry, I…my family isn’t that big, we will most likely meet up with my mother’s sisters: Stormy Flare and Fire Flare. Stormy is an ex-wonderbolt and has strong ties with them still—she’s the one that got me the tickets for the blimp, by the way—while Aunt Fire is a pyrotechnic and travels a lot for her shows.”

“Do they have any children?” 

“Aunt Fire doesn’t, but Stormy has a daughter named Spitfire, last I heard she’s working for the Wonderbolts. Mother only invited her sisters but…” he sighed. “…I have a feeling my cousin will show up regardless of her job, I can’t imagine either of my aunts keeping this a secret.”

Starlight chuckled. “I guess you don’t like her.”

“She’s not bad per se, but she’s very competitive and a showoff, she liked to tease me a lot when we were kids because of my weak magic and my lack of motor skills,” Sunburst grumbled. “Let’s hope she outgrew that.”

“Let’s hope so,” she reassured him, causing him to smile back. “Any pony from your father’s side coming to see us?”

“Maybe,” he said after a brief pause. His smile remained, but it lost some of its cheer when he looked away, staring at the window with a wistful but sadden look. “I haven’t seen or heard of them in a while. My father’s brother, Uncle Sun Glare, works for the Magic Council and he has two children that live with him in the royal quarters, Sunglow and Sunset Shimmer, all of them lead busy lives so I’ll doubt they’ll be there…”

“But surely they’ll make time to see you,” Starlight said, trying to cheer him up. “Stellar Flare made it sound like every pony would be there.”

“I do miss him a lot…but I wouldn’t count on him being there,” he said with a shrug of his shoulders, but Starlight saw the unhappiness in his eyes. “He used to visit a lot when I was younger, he would help me homework, play games with me, even took me on a couple of trips. But when I left for magic school, he and my mother had a falling out and I haven’t seen him ever since.”

Despite his casual tone, she could tell that he was unhappy with what happened, to have such a close relationship ended so abruptly and badly must have been painful. Maybe it was time he sought some closure during this trip, but Starlight decided to talk about it at another time, when they were both more rested and settled, besides, they still had to deal with the rest of his family and, if they were anything like his mother, it was best they were more relaxed and in better spirits to tackle the challenge ahead. 

Wanting to cheer him up, she changed the subject to something that was hopefully more light-hearted. 

“Sunburst, you were saying something earlier that I didn’t quite catch?” 

He blinked, looking at her with confusion before he blushed furiously, his hoof went inside his coat as he fumbled with something, but he stopped and shook his head, almost sending his glasses flying from his face. 

“I…I’ll t-tell you later!” He said quickly, standing up so abruptly and not giving her a chance to ask more questions. “By the way, Stygian and Flash Sentry will be there, so I’m looking forward to that. I’m going to buy some snacks, want me to get you something?”

She shook her head and he left walking towards the back of the blimp where he saw a mare with a snack cart earlier. Once he was out of view, he leaned against a metal pillar and placed his hoof over a small box hidden in his coat, right above his racing heart, sighing with relief.

“Later, I’ll tell her later,” he mumbled, cursing his cowardice.

* * *

They left the blimp in relative silence, Sunburst because he was still a little nervous from the ride and Starlight because she was too busy taking in the color and chaos that was the Canterlot Airport with a wide grin. Numerous blimps and hot air balloons were docked in the airport’s numerous terminals, which was more like a huge esplanade made out of white stone, a material that was common in the magical city. The esplanade was filled with ponies walking and running to catch up to their respective rides. 

To exit the blimp, they had to go through the deck that Starlight was previously enjoying, a section of the barrier had been removed and a bridge extended, connecting the floating aircraft to the solid ground. The passengers walked the bridge two at a time, Sunburst standing nervously beside her until his hooves finally touched the ground, in which he sagged visibly with a sigh.

“ _ Hey! _ Hey! Sunbutt! Over here!” 

The pair followed the voice, it was hard not to, since it carried an air of command and strength that wasn’t easy to ignore. A yellow pegasus mare waves them over, her hair a flaming orange and windblown like she just flew in. Her eyes were covered by aviator glasses so only her grin showed as she stood, unbothered by the midday sun, in her blue military jacket decorated with shining awards for her service.

“Spitface, is that you? Didn’t recognize you behind all those medals!”

Despite the jab the two cousins laughed and embraced warmly, Spitfire slapping his back with a little more force than necessary when they parted, almost knocking Sunburst’s glasses in the process. “I could say the same thing about you, walking with a pretty mare like that, never thought I see the day.”

Spitfire lifted her glasses, revealing a pair of dark brown eyes that watched her critically. “Sunbutt, aren’t you going to introduce me?”

“I was getting to that,” Sunburst said, standing beside her and wrapping his foreleg around her withers, causing Starlight to smile at the comfortable and familiar weight. “Spitfire, this is Lady Starlight Glimmer, Starlight, this is Sargent Spitfire, my cousin who I like to call Spitface.”

Starlight extended her hoof and Spitfire took it, her hold firm and strong as she shook it, not that Starlight expected anything less from such a serious-looking mare. “May I ask why he calls you that?”

Spitfire grinned and motioned for them to follow her. “It all started when our mothers took us to summer camp…”

She guided them through the wide crowded esplanade as she talked, walking like she knew the place as well as the back of her hoof. With her as the lead, the crowds seemed to part wherever she went and the staff of the airport practically tripped over themselves to do what she said, and before Starlight knew it, they collected their luggage and were sitting in a carriage on their way to Stormy Flare’s house. Though Starlight was too busy laughing to pay it any mind. Spitfire was easy going and had lots of embarrassing stories about her future husband to share—much to his mortification—so by the time she boarded the carriage, Starlight’s sides hurt from laughing so much. 

The carriage carried them away from the airport and across Downtown Canterlot, which was the heart and soul of the capital. Starlight peered through the window and longed to be amidst the crowds of tourist and locals, she reminisced about the time she spent here as a teenager, hanging out with Trixie and Maud, free to do whatever she pleased and running wild with her two friends close behind her. Maybe after the reunion, she could convince Sunburst to come here for a while, show him the shops and places she was sure he never set hoof in and see his surprised expression at the places she used to frequent as a teenager…

Much to Starlight’s delight, Stormy Flare’s house wasn’t far from the downtown area. The carriage came to a stop in front of a townhouse, flanked by either side by rows of similar-looking houses. It reminded her of her home in Shire’s town—a tall but narrow building with three floors and a basement on the street level—except that the building was much older than her own and the architecture hadn’t been changed since it was first built all those centuries ago.

Spitfire was the first to get off, jumping off the carriage and using her wings to land on the top of the stairs of the townhouse. “I’ll let everyone know that you—”

The door burst open and hit Spitfire on the flank, and she would have caught herself from falling hadn’t she been trampled by the three overexcited mares running up to meet them.

_ “Sunburst!”  _

He didn’t even have time to groan before his mother was in front of him and they were surrounded by two other frenzied mares.

“What took you so long? I told you to take the train instead of the blimp!”

“She’s so cute! Where on earth did you find her Stellar?”

“How was it? Have you eaten? Let’s get inside before this humidity ruins my feathers!”

The Flare sisters—as Starlight was beginning to call them in her mind—guided them inside the house and led them to the tea room, leaving Spitfire behind to deal with the luggage. The house was small but lovely, pictures and medals of what Starlight assumed were either Stormy Flare’s or Spitfire’s hang from the walls, all of them commemorating some record or act of service for the Wonderbolts. 

“The flight was great! I want to thank you for the tickets, Miss Flare.” Starlight said, smiling at the older pegasus mare. “I always wanted to ride a blimp.” 

She giggled. “Just call me Stormy, dear. And you’re welcome! It’s the least I could do for you two, anytime you want a ride just let me know and I’ll get you the best seats.”

Starlight grinned but Sunburst only groaned. “Auntie Stormy, please don’t give her any ideas.”

The Flare sisters laughed as they entered the tea room. Two stallions that were present in the room, one sitting on the couch while the other stood by the window, seemingly ignoring them. Starlight stopped and did a double-take, surprised on the resemblance they shared with Sunburst. Besides her, she felt Sunburst do the same. 

The young stallion stood, greeting them with a wide grin. “Hey cuz, long time no see!”

“Sunglow?” Sunburst managed to say as he stared at the taller stallion, then he looked at the older stallion watching them from the edge of the window. “…Uncle Sun Glare?”

“The one and only!” Sunglow said loudly, puffing out his chest and letting out a bark of laughter that resonated through the room. 

Sunburst turned towards his mother, who looked back at him sheepishly, an odd expression from a mare that usually enjoyed the attention. 

“Your uncle and I have our differences, but I know how much he meant to you when you were young,” Stellar said, giving a smile and a nod towards the older stallion. “So, I invited him to the wedding since…well, I think your father would have wanted for his brother to be there in his place.”

“It’s been a while, Sunburst.” Mr. Zenith greeted with a friendly smile, stepping away from the window and extending his hoof to his nephew. “Congratulations on your engagement, I wish you both happiness.”

Sunburst stared at the hoof for a moment before he decided to ignore it and went for a hug instead, catching everyone present by surprise. The older stallion got over the shock quickly and hugged his nephew back, and the tender smile on he displayed was enough to make Starlight’s heart melt and for Stellar Flare’s eyes to get watery. Sunburst's biological father may have passed away, but his brother had stepped up to the roll when the time came, and she realized why he hadn’t talked much about his father: because for Sunburst, Mr. Zenith  _ was _ his father.

So distracted she was by the tender reunion that she didn’t notice Sunglow until he was right in her face, causing Starlight to take a step back in surprise. 

“And you must be the lady everyone has been talking about.”

His green eyes settled on hers and Starlight felt herself flushing. Sunglow shared a striking resemblance to her Sunburst: his coat was the same shade of gamboge, except he was a solid color while Sunburst had white mixed in his coat, his hair was a dark red cut short in a military-like mohawk, but his most striking feature was just how tall and muscular he was, making her wonder if he was some kind of soldier or just really liked working out. 

Starlight recovered from her shock and smiled. “My name is Starlight Glimmer, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” She held out her hoof and he took it gently, feeling his eyes roaming her body before he bent over to kiss her hoof.

“Believe me the pleasure is all mine,” he said with a wink and Starlight smiled awkwardly, wishing he would stop staring at her like a salacious mannequin on display. “Hey, dad! How come you haven’t found  _ me  _ a cute little bride like my cousin?”

Their reunion cut short, Mr. Zenith gave his son a disapproving glare, his expression mirrored by his nephew, they looked so similar that Starlight could have laughed. Instead, she smiled thinly and snatch her hoof from his hold. “Are you in a rush to marry, Mr. Sunglow?” 

“Well, as long as it is with the right mare,” he said staring at her intently, and then he sighed dramatically. “But alas, not every pony is lucky enough to have everything  _ handed _ to them, wouldn’t you agree Sunburst?”

“I think you’re taking your freedom of choice for granted, dear cousin,” Sunburst said meeting his cousin stare with his pointed one. “ _ Responsibility _ and  _ commitment _ are heavy burdens for such a  _ free-spirited _ stallion as yourself, I don’t think marriage would suit you, or even possible for you to find a mare willing to put up with your rebellious spirit.” 

Stellar Flare gasped quietly, hiding her shock behind her hoof, and every ponies jaw fell to the floor at his rude remark, but the two stallions face each other and neither was backing down, even though Sunburst was clearly at a disadvantage if Sunglow decided to make this physical. 

Sunglow’s smile disappeared, replaced by a scowl as he stepped forward. “That’s rich coming from such a spoiled colt—” 

Mr. Zenith stepped in just as Starlight’s horn began to glow with a retraining spell, putting himself between the two stallions and giving his son a warning glower. “I wouldn’t have guessed that you needed help looking for a wife, son.” Sun Glare said dryly. “But if you like I’ll keep an eye open for any mare suitable for your station.” 

Sunglow held his father’s stare for a few tense moments before he dropped it, stepping back and acting as nothing happened. “I appreciate the offer father, but I think my heart belongs to all the beautiful mares on Equestria.”

“Oh, if it’s a wife you want may I suggest my little Spitfire?” Stormy Flare said quickly, her smile strained as she tried to ease the heavy atmosphere.

Unfortunately for Sunglow, Spitfire walked in just in time to heard her mother’s suggestion and gave the stallion a withering look. Sunglow’s eyes widened in recognition and he stood straight, giving the mare a salute.

“Captain Spitfire!”

“Private,” Spitfire said curtly. She was smaller than Sunglow, but her ferocious glare was enough to warn him not to try playing games with her. 

Fire and Stellar Flare snorted, hiding their laughter poorly behind their hooves as Sunglow cringed and smiled nervously.

“I thank you for your generous offer Miss Flare, but I fear that my search for true love will have to continue since not all of us are as lucky as my cousin here.”

Sunburst bared his teeth at his cousin in a way that couldn’t be considered a smile. 

Just then Flash Sentry and Stygian walked in, breaking the tension in the room. After some pleasantries the room was filled with conversation and laughter, she talked to Stygian and Flash Sentry, who treated her with much more openness than when they first met, especially Stygian asked questions about her business and was interested in what she had to say, while Flash cracked jokes and made everyone laugh. 

Sunglow and Sunburst kept their distance. 

As the evening progressed Starlight found herself sitting on the couch talking to Fire Flare, smiling at the stories she told her of her career as a pyrotechnic. Her attitude and personality reminded her of Trixie which was probably why, out of all Sunburst’s aunts, Fire Flare was her favorite so far.

Both mares looked up when the stern stallion from earlier approached them, taking Starlight by surprise, she had forgotten that he was even here. He bowed politely before speaking.

“Good evening Lady Flare, Lady Glimmer, how are you enjoying the party?”

“Marvelously!” Fire Flare said, brushing her long bangs to the side with a wide smile. “It’s been so long since we had a reunion like this, and for such a joyous occasion too! It warms my heart to see everyone here, I can’t wait for the wedding and meet the rest of your lovely family Starlight, and Sun Glare you are coming to the ceremony, right? It wouldn’t be the same without you I don’t care what Stellar says about—”

“Speaking of which, I heard Stormy Flare talking about doing a Rainboom for the reception instead of fireworks.”

“She wouldn’t!” Fire Flare said and stood up. “Everypony knows that fireworks are a  _ must _ for a wedding!”

Fire Flare marched towards her sister, leaving Starlight alone with the older stallion. She looked at him curiously and motioned at the space beside her. “Well then, since you got rid of my companion for the evening, mind taking her place for the time being Mister Zenith?”

“You can just call me Sun Glare,” the older stallion said with a nod. “I apologize for not introducing myself properly earlier.”

“I might consider forgiving you if you sat and talk to me for a while.”

Mr. Sun Glare laughed and the merry sound reminded her strongly of Sunburst, much more than the boisterous Sunglow. But for every similarity that she found between Mr. Sun Glare and Sunburst, she found a difference. For one, the older stallion’s hair was a much lighter shade of orange, and the texture of his mane was straighter and neater than her fiancé, who always had a wave to it no matter how much he brushed it, his coat was also a light shade of yellow that looked almost pastel, but the biggest difference so far were his eyes: Sunburst had blue, while Mr. Sun Glare was a dark purple.

“I would also like to apologize for my son’s behavior earlier,” he said with a sigh, taking the offered seat. 

“It’s alright Mr. Sun Glare, I don’t hold what he did against you,” Starlight reassured quickly, “but the way you stepped in is greatly appreciated…I don’t want to think about what would have happened if you hadn’t interfered.”

“He and Sunburst never got along, when they were kids, they would fight over everything, Sunglow liked to take Sunburst’s toys to get a rise out of him,” Mr. Sun Glare explained scratching the back of his head. “I don’t mean to be rude, but I think that was the case today: he saw that Sunburst had something he didn’t and wanted to take it for himself.”

Starlight gaze went around the room, finding Sunglow without much difficulty talking to Flash. They were speaking loudly, arguing about some military matter that Starlight didn’t understand. Despite their loudness, everyone else was ignoring them and the pair seemed to be acting civil enough. Her gaze drifted towards Sunburst, talking to Stygian who seemed to be berating him about something, judging by the way Sunburst’s ears were folded and was grinning in an embarrassed manner. 

His eyes met hers and he looked away with a blush, causing Starlight to smile. It had been a while since he acted so bashful around her and she wanted to know why, but she didn’t want to leave Mr. Sun Glare alone when she had her questions to ask him. 

“I was hoping that life in the royal guard would teach him some manners,” Sun Glare said with a grimace. “But it seems that I can’t expect others to do the job I failed to do when he was younger.” 

“A lot of things happened during that time, from what I understand,” Starlight said gently. “I’m sure you did the best you could, but in the end, his actions are his own and it’s up to him to change those behaviors or continue being who he is.”

“Of course, he’s a grown stallion now, but a parent will never stop worrying about their child, no matter how old they get…or what they had done.”

He looked away with a sad look in his eyes and Starlight wondered what Sunglow had done to cause such a look of despair in his father.

“Mr. Sun Glare, is everything alright? Did Sunglow do something…”

“Oh, no! He didn’t do anything too heinous, no, I was just…thinking of somepony else.” 

“May I ask who?”

He sighed. “I rather not talk about it, it’s still too soon for me to discuss it comfortably.”

Starlight nodded and an awkward silence followed, the sounds of other conversations flowed between them and she almost envied the easy atmosphere the rest of the family had created. After a moment of deliberation, she pushed through her nervousness and turned once again to Sunburst’s uncle, trying to find the words to express herself and not offend him at the same time. 

But he beat her to it. “Judging by your surprise earlier, Sunburst didn’t tell you much about Sunglow or me, did he?”

She shook her head. “He seemed reluctant and I didn’t want to push him…and honestly, he spoke more about his aunts than you guys, though I don’t blame him, those three are quite…something.”

As in cue, they heard the three mares laughing hysterically from the other side of the room. 

Mr. Sunglow chuckled. “Yes, even back then most stallions couldn’t take their eyes away from those three, Sunspot among them.”

“Could you tell me more about him?” Starlight asked, her curiosity peaked at the mention of Sunburst’s father. “Sunburst didn’t speak much about him, so…” 

Mr. Sun Glare paused, looking pensively at the far end of the room with a lost look in his eyes before he spoke. “Well, I’m not surprised that he didn’t, he was very young when Sunspot left this world, he probably doesn’t remember much about him to share with you. But to me, he was my older brother and I looked up to him growing up…even though we were born minutes apart.”

He pulled out something from his coat and handed it to her, but Starlight shook her head. “No thank you, I don’t smoke…oh!”

He opened the cigarette box and showed her a picture hidden inside. It depicted a young family: a father standing proudly in the back, a mother sitting next to him and two identical colts in front of the mare, her hooves resting on their withers as they posed for the camera. 

Mr. Sun Glare pointed at the grinning colt on the left. “This is Sunspot,” his hoof moved to the one on the right, who looked at the camera like he was about to cry. “And that was me.” 

Starlight tried and failed to hide her surprise. “You were twins? I had no idea!”

“Like two drops of water, my mother would say, but we couldn’t have been more different in personality.” Mr. Sun Glare said. “Sunspot was outgoing, outspoken and a bit of a troublemaker, but he could always talk his way out of any situation, you couldn’t help but like him, no matter what he did or said to you.”

Starlight looked at the picture again, focusing at the grinning colt and the mischievous twinkle in his eyes as he gazed back at her. She tried to imagine that colt as a grown stallion, breaking hearts wherever he went and speaking eloquently about what was on his mind, she tried to imagine that stallion as a family pony and she frowned. Maybe marriage managed to tame the wild side of his, or it would have, had he been given more time to spend with his family. 

“It’s a shame he had to die so suddenly,” Starlight said, returning the cigarette box. “I wonder if he would’ve approved of me.”

“He would’ve  _ adored _ you.” 

Starlight giggled. “What makes you so sure?”

“Because Stellar Flare approves of you and I approve of you, so he wouldn’t have a choice but to like you.” 

Mr. Sun Glare grinned, looking very much like his brother when he did so, and Starlight smiled back, wishing in her heart of hearts that what he said was true. The stallion opened his mouth to continue, but he looked up and grinning at something behind her. 

“Ah, Sunburst, there you are, come to keep us company?” 

Starlight turned and she immediately brightened. Sunburst stood beside her, he smiled and shook his head. “Not exactly, there’s been a little accident with the refreshments and I volunteered to go out to get some more.” 

He pointed at the overturn table behind him, where a sheepish Flash Sentry was being berated by Stormy Flare while a maid cleaned up the mess of cookies and drinks from the floor. He turned his gaze to Starlight, looking a little nervous as he spoke. “I was wondering if you would like to come?”

She hesitated, looking back at Mr. Sun Glare with a worried frown. “Could you excuse me Mr. Sun Glare?”

“Of course! I wouldn’t dream of keeping you two apart,” he said, standing up and shaking Starlight’s hoof. “Let’s pick this conversation up some other time.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

Soon they were both out in the street. The sun was setting and a cool wind followed them down the street as they made their way to the busy streets of Downtown Canterlot. They took their time, neither of them in a hurry to complete their errand and return to the house, they passed multiple stores with baked goods and other refreshments that would have been acceptable, but the pair just kept walking. 

“Your uncle is kind, and he’s quite the jokester too,” Starlight said, as they passed yet another store. “I see where you got your sense of humor from.”

Sunburst blinked, looking at her in surprise. “My uncle’s sense of humor? I don’t know if I should be offended by that.”

“He was a little shy at first, but in the end, he approved of me and was kind enough to tell me some things about himself and his family.”

“What did he tell you?”

Starlight shrugged. “Not much, just some things about Sunglow and your father.”

He was quiet for a long time, long enough for Starlight to look up and see the most peculiar expression of pity and frustration on his face, he noticed her staring and tried to smile, but it was forced. “You’re right about one thing: he is kind, maybe too kind. Even after all this time, after all the things he did to him, my uncle still thinks the world of my father.”

“What do you mean?” 

“That whatever my uncle said to you about him was probably a lie.”

They had left the market street behind and found themselves in a park, it was dark but the streetlamps provided enough illumination so it wasn't uncomfortable to be in, there were even some families playing in the grass and some ponies walking home from work, so they weren’t completely alone. Sunburst sat on an empty park bench, away from most of the crowd and motioned for her to join him.

Starlight sat down, close enough to take his hoof in hers for comfort after seeing the trouble look in his eyes. “I wouldn't have taken your uncle for a liar.”

“He’s not, he’s just...protective of my father’s memory in the same way he’s protective of his son. He loves them both so much he would throw himself in front of a train for them,” he said, his grip on Starlight’s hoof hard enough to be almost painful. “And they probably wouldn’t even say thank you.”

He took a deep breath, lifting some of the pressure in her hoof and continued. “The Zenith family is old, old enough that we can trace them back to Princess Platinum’s court when it was my father’s turn to inherit the title it came to him alongside a great number of lands and wealth, and nearly brought it all to an end with his gambling, and when he burned through all his money, he married my mother for hers.

“My uncle tried to stop him, but he didn’t listen and when he tried to speak to my mother, my father convinced her to elope with him, my mother loved him so much that she agreed despite not knowing him all that well. They never saw each other again after that, not until my father’s funeral.” 

Starlight’s eyes were wide, her hoof still held tightly in his as she looked up at him. The streetlights cast heavy shadows on his face, but she was close enough to see the pain and sadness of revealing those dark secrets. She was shocked that he would tell her such things without her prompting, touched by his trust in her, and confused as to why he brought this up, to begin with. 

“I heard rumors about his gambling,” Starlight said, her tone soft as to not startle him and break the quiet that surrounded them, “and the reason why Sunspot died in Las Pegasus was because of a deal gone wrong.”

Sunburst didn’t bother to deny it. “My mother took it hard and she began to resent my uncle, even after he stepped in and help us not lose everything we had. They fought about it constantly until my uncle had enough and gave my mother space...I’m not sure if they reconcile completely but seeing him here today was a really big deal for me.”

He took a deep breath and his shoulders sagged as he exhaled, resting his back on the bench and fully relaxed, closing his eyes. She tried to pull her hoof away, but his relaxed grip only tightened, a silent plea to stay where she was. 

“Sunburst, why are you telling me this?”

“Because I made a promise to myself: I wouldn't be like my father,” he said, his eyes still closed, holding on to her hoof. “All my life I did everything I could to not be like him, I could’ve entered the Royal Guard with a high rank just because my father had been a Lieutenant in the Guard, but I decided to study history instead, I never learned to play a card game and I stay away from drinking in case I’m predisposed to alcoholism...and I tried to break our engagement for years.”

Starlight’s breath caught in her throat. 

“Back then I thought it would all be for nothing if I marry somepony for their money, it would make me just like him if I did so. The week before we met I argued with my mother more than I've ever done in a year, trying to explain how I felt, but she was determined to at least have us meet and I got her to promise me that if it didn’t work out she wouldn't press the issue.

“I was determined to drive you away, I was convinced that you were just another spoiled mare and we wouldn't be compatible...and all those plans went up in smoke the moment I saw you, my heart changed that afternoon when you debated me about Ponisagus, and I was determined to win you over after that visit in Shire’s Town.”

He grinned at her shocked expression and she blushed. “I had no idea that you—” 

Sunburst got up from the bench and stood in front of her, then he went down on one knee. Her words fell away as she stared, feeling a bit confused, and a bit overwhelmed. 

“Starlight...our marriage was arranged from the start, but it’s not just an arranged marriage to me. This is not about business or duty or pretense. It’s real. I want our marriage to be real. I want it to be based on our feelings for each other, on our commitment to make this work, and not because of what we could gain from the other, because—let’s be honest—you don’t need my title anymore and I don’t have much to offer besides that.”

“Don’t say that!” Starlight chided, grabbing him by the cheeks so he would meet her eyes. “What you offer is more important than money and titles, and those things don’t matter in the long run! For all we know, tomorrow the economy could crash, or Celestia decides to switch the government to a democracy, then we would both be dirt poor and a pair of nobody’s, but we would still be Sunburst and Starlight.” She released him but his eyes were captivated by hers and the love that shone there. “I love you because you are you, and that’s worth more than any noble title.” 

“Then will you marry me?” He said in rush, his cheeks going red. 

_ “Yes!  _ You silly stallion! _ ”  _ Starlight laughed and grabbed him by the cheeks again, peppering his face with kisses. “What do you think we’ve been preparing for the last couple of months?”

He grinned and hastily look inside his coat, pulling out a long and thin velvet box. “I know, it’s just...I wanted to make sure that you knew my feelings on the matter.” He handed her the box. “I wanted to ask you on the blimp, but I underestimated my fear of heights when combined with my nerves.”

She had an idea of what it was, but her heart still fluttered in her chest as she opened and took in the sight of the silver necklace resting in the black velvet, a charm in the shape of his cutie mark hanging from the delicate silver chain. It began to glow as Sunburst took it in his magic, making it fall gently around her neck as he locked the delicate mechanism in place.

He pulled out a thin chain from around his neck she hadn't noticed before, hidden beneath the material of his cloak until a charm in the shape of her cutie mark dangled between them. “Now we match!”

Starlight laughed and hugged him tightly, tears gathering in the corner of her eyes that she tried to blink away. His embrace was just as fierce and she felt his sigh against her hair and the metal chain of her necklace digging slightly into her skin. Starlight wasn't used to wearing jewelry in her everyday life, though it would take some time getting used too, she decided to make an exception for this one. 

They would have stayed like that for a long time until Starlight saw the time on a faraway clock tower. 

“Is that the time?!”

Sunburst jumped, scrambling to his hooves to see what she was talking about. “What about it?”

“The snacks! We better hurry before your aunts decide to send a search party for us!” 

They ran together into the night in search of a store that was still open. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not entirely happy with this chapter, but it was important for Sunburst's arc so I couldn't skip it even if I wanted too, I still had fun writing about his hangups with his father and his marriage. I had to cut out a lot of information about Sunburst's family since the finer details weren't all that important to the main story, but if you still have questions about them or are just curious don't hesitate to ask! 
> 
> The next two final chapters will be posted together, so it will take a little longer than usual, I promise it will be worth it!


	9. your happiness is my happiness

Time had a funny way of passing her by without her noticing, whether it was because she was neck-deep in work or wedding planning (those two became one around a month ago, much to her chagrin) or because she was so happy she stopped paying attention to the clocks on the walls.

Starlight blinked and her reflection did the same. A few years ago she’d been dreading this day, back then she imagined she would be dressed in a stuffy white dress, marching down the aisle with the grace of a mare on death row to tie herself to a stallion indifferent to her, the only thing they would have in common would be their disdain for the other. She imagined years of polite indifference, of short superficial conversations, of her skulking in her office to avoid her unhappy marriage―the roommate who she could not evict without causing a mess because it would happen to be her husband. 

Now though, as her bridesmaids fuzzed around her, she visioned her future differently. 

For one her dress wasn't white―it was green, made from the silk Mr. Horwitz gifted her all those months ago. Twilight put her in contact with a skilled seamstress called Rarity Belle, who flipped when she saw the fabric since Yak silk was such a rare material even to this day. Rarity transformed the silk into a dress that even made Stellar Flare gasped―who’d been against the idea of a green wedding dress from the beginning―when Starlight tried it on.

A long train of green silk trailed behind her, white roses and vines embroidered into the fabric that shimmered with the light and making them look alive. The cut of the dress was fairly simple, no gemstones or elaborate bows to weight her down, letting the shine of the silk speak for itself. Except for the tail, the dress hugged her body tightly and Silver Stream said she looked like a mermaid, stepping out of the seafoam as she made her way to land. 

“Or to meet her prince,” Trixie said with a giggle, making Starlight blush.

But that was the punchline, wasn't it? Sunburst was no prince and she was the farthest thing from a princess, he didn’t save her from her ivory tower or slay a dragon to win her hoof, didn’t break some curse with a kiss or returned her magical shoes, he simply been himself and she fell in love.

And that was better than any fairytale.

There was a knock on the door just as Trixie was fixing her veil. “Come in!”

Firelight stepped in, dressed in a formal tuxedo, and froze when he saw his daughter. 

“Oh, Sugarplum…!”

“Dad, you promised!” Starlight complained rolling her eyes, but her smile softened her expression. 

“I know, it’s just...” Firelight choked up and burst into tears before he could finish. 

Twilight smiled and handed him a box of tissues; always prepared for the little things. “I guess its time for us to go, we’ll see you in a few minutes.”

Dressed in her bridesmaid gown Twilight, followed by Trixie, Maud, and Silverstream, left the room, each girl giving Starlight a final smile or pat on the back in support or to wish her luck, leaving father and daughter alone for the time being.

Starlight reached her father and drew him into a hug, which he gratefully returned as his sobs lessened into small hiccups.

“I’m sorry honey, I wasn’t prepared to see you like this.”

Starlight smiled and patted his back. “I know, part of me can’t believe this is actually happening.”

They parted slowly and, despite her earlier teasing, she felt her own eyes tearing up when her father smiled warmly at her, his eyes shining with love and pride that made her heart swell.

“Your mother,” Firelight began, tears streaming down his eyes even though he smiled sadly, “she would be so proud of you Starlight, you’ve grown to be stronger and braver than either of us imagined, if she could have known the kind of mare you would turn to be...maybe she wouldn’t have pushed this on you.”

“Dad, I wouldn’t have gone through this,” she paused and shook her head, “alright, maybe I would have gone through with this anyway if it meant honoring my mother’s memory...but you would have heard me complaining all the way.”

Firelight chuckled. “Well, you and Stellar butted heads for a while there, should I be concerned?”

“That’s just a healthy difference of opinion and she got over it in the end,” Starlight shook her head, “I’m talking about me and Sunburst, if we had been incompatible in every way then I wouldn't be standing here, in a dress designed to look like my mother’s own, or even have this conversation with you, because I would be too miserable to even look at you.”

“And I wouldn’t have paid for this ceremony if you were that miserable with my choice, but I’m glad to see that we chose right in the end―well, more like your mother did; she always had an eye for these kinds of things,” her father reassured her, “Sunburst was so shy when you two were kids, but he would immediately brighten every time he saw you, it melted your mother’s heart when you two played and laughed without a care in the world.”

Starlight blinked. “Really? We were that close?” 

“You two met when you were young so I’m not surprised you don’t remember, but you two would do everything together, you would follow Sunburst wherever he went and you would cry whenever we had to leave.”

Starlight felt herself blushing. Even though she been young when all this happened but the fact that she been so clingy caused her embarrassment.

Firelight brushed his mane back and took a deep breath, his goofy and overbearing semblance suddenly changed to one of seriousness that commanded her attention, Starlight’s ears perking in surprise when he spoke in a no-nonsense tone. 

“Now my dear, this is your wedding day, and no matter how much it pains me to see you go and start your own house, I must.” He placed a hoof on her shoulder and stared into her eyes. “I know this is and will be, difficult for you. Marriage  _ is _ difficult, especially one such as yours with such short betrothal, but you have an advantage few will ever have.

“You managed to find love, my sweetest child, but love alone isn’t enough to carry a marriage, it takes a lot of patience, understanding, and compromise. Love will make weathering the storms much easier, each trial and tribulation worth it, and make your marriage a happy one. Don’t ever take it for granted. Never. Anything that you receive you should always be grateful, you never know when it will be your last...” He sniffled again and wiped his eyes. 

“I’m sorry honey, I wasn’t married for long, so I don’t know what advice to give you.”

“Dad,” she sad very softly, happiness welling inside her heart, and she smiled bashfully. “I’ll always remember your advice, thank you.”

He leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead, pulling back he dabbed his eyes with a handkerchief. “Now, let’s get going, we mustn't be late! Are you ready, sugarplum?”

There was no hesitation when Starlight nodded, taking his offer hoof as he escorted her to the aisle. 

* * *

They reserved a small, old chapel in the center of Shire’s Town for the ceremony, but it was ornate and beautiful, with colorful stain glass that depicted various stories and legends of Equestria. The most beautiful one was the one on the main altar, depicting the two sisters watching over their ponies with gentle smiles, carrying the sun and the moon on their backs in perfect balance.

Starlight watched from a small gap in the door as the guest found their seats, standing in a little side room to the altar with her bridesmaids, waiting for the musical cue that would start the procession towards the altar to meet her groom and her future.

Trixie clapped her shoulder and dragged her back from the door. “You’ll be fine Starlight, you practiced your vows and your speeches so many times you can practically say them in your sleep! Relax! It’s your wedding day!”

Unsurprisingly her words weren’t helpful.

Waiting was the worst part. She'd been so confident when she spoke to her father, but now dark thoughts started creeping into her mind, making her knees to knock together underneath her dress. What if Sunburst changed his mind? What if her father was wrong? He has been wrong before, he could be wrong about him and he loved someone else and maybe he eloped with some other mare―

“Starlight, breathe!” Trixie shouted, shaking her shoulders.

Thankfully, Maud was there to slapped Trixie’s hooves away before she scrambled the bride’s brains any further. 

“Breathe in deeply and count to ten, then release it slowly,” Maud said in her usual monotone, but her emotionless voice was strangely soothing.

Starlight did, closing her eyes and breathing deeply for ten seconds, clearing her mind and focusing on the air filling her lungs. She felt Maud breathing in time with her and she smiled, then Trixie was doing the same and the three mares breathed deeply together until Starlight had control of her nerves again.

“Thank you,” she said and her friends smiled.

“You got this.” Maud smiled lightly.

Their ears perked up when they heard the music play and everypony scrambled to their posts. The bridesmaids took the front while Starlight lowered her veil and felt her father’s hoof in hers, standing beside as the doors opened. 

A red carpet stretched out from the hall they were into the main altar, muffling the steps of the procession as they marched ahead, the music playing loudly in the cavernous chapel. Her veil obscured most of her vision, but she felt the eyes of the guests immediately on her and she tried not to cower under the weight, tightening her hold on her father’s hoof as he escorted up the aisle. 

Trixie’s styled tail concealed the front of the altar and suddenly she stepped aside, only muscle memory ingrained by several tedious practices saved her from making a fool of herself as she climbed the last steps to the top of the altar. Her breath hitched when she felt her father’s hoof guiding hers and placing it on top of another familiar one.

The veil was lifted and she met the eyes of her future husband, warmth blooming in her chest that spread to her face, making her blush and smile. 

Whoever the hairstylist was, they had managed to tame Sunburst’s rebellious mane―they even trimmed his goatee, making him look respectable in his dark blue tuxedo and white dress shirt. For the first time since she met him, he looked the part of a Duke. Sunburst looked stunned for a moment then he grinned so wide that it made her giggle. She hadn’t seen him in the last few days and she had not fully realized how much she missed him. 

With their joined hooves they turned towards the officiator―a tall, severe-looking pegasus mare dressed in a robe with the symbols of the sun and the moon stitched to her sides―, he met her glance and smiled, squeezing his hoof in hers reassuringly. 

The minister stood as tall and regal, but she smiled warmly at the pair in front of her before turning towards the crowd. Her wings snapped open, sending a gust of wind towards the crowd and the music stopped, she began the ceremony with a long speech about the foolishness of entering into marriage without the intention of remaining true, and without putting one’s full heart into it.

Starlight zoned out a little as the cleric droned about fools this and fools that, focusing more on the feeling of Sunburst’s hoof in hers, and how warm and right she felt standing beside him.

She was jolted from her daydream by the priestess questioning the congregation as to anyone having any objections to the marriage that was to commence. When no one spoke up, the ceremony began for real.

The priestess read out the rules of marriage to them. “The both of you must be loyal to one another, be kind to one another, to be honest in times of doubt, treat one another with generosity and affection, be the other’s pillar in times of distress as well as in times of laughter. Do you solemnly swear to abide by these rules, as they were given unto us by the Divine Sisters at the beginning of time?”

Starlight looked from the officiator to Sunburst, and said in time with him, “We do.”

“Then may Lady and Lord of honor bring forth the bindings so that your bodies, hearts, spirits, and fates be forever bound to each other.”

Twilight stepped forward, holding a turquoise cloth embroidered with Starlight’s cutie mark, just as Flash brought forward a similar golden cloth embroidered with Sunburst’s cutie mark.

The priestess took them in her hooves, and she knotted them together expertly for the whole congregation to see. “As these clothes are now entwined, so are your families.” She pulled on both clothes to demonstrate the strength of the knot and continued, “and like this binding, your union must be steadfast and eternal, for you will now be bound until the day you both perish, and then, even further on as you meet with the powers above in whatever life they give us after this one. Now, step forward.”

As one, they stepped forward with their heads held high. The priestess wrapped the knotted clothes around their necks and said solemnly, “As your necks are now bound, so are your hearts in the eyes of ponies. As your necks are now bound, so are your spirits in the eyes of the Sisters. As your necks are now bound, so are your fates in the eyes of the eternal light, and all that is good and just.”

Once they have been tied together, the officiator turned her back to the altar to pick up a goblet and then turned back around to present it to them. “Drink this as one,” she said, lifting the goblet up high so all could see it. “Drink for your future health and prosperity. Drink to prove that you can commune as one before this congregation.”

She handed them the goblet and they took it, having practiced holding it with only their hooves instead of magic. Sunburst held the bottom and Starlight held the base, Starlight drank from it first, then Sunburst, allowing the sweet wine to wet her dry throat.

The priestess took the goblet and set it down. When she turned back to them, she spread her wings wide again and said, “With these witnesses before you and in the eyes of the Sisters, you have entered into the holy sanctity of marriage. Though this cloth may be untied, the bond formed between you will never be undone, for it is as permanent as the Sun and the Moon in the sky, and just as beautiful.”

She untied the cloth around their necks and took a step back. “You may now seal your union with a kiss before your consummation cements your union in the eyes of the law.”

Sunburst took a small step closer towards Starlight, as she took a step closer to him. This was the part they’ve never practiced, would not have been allowed to even if they had wanted to. Sunburst lifted his free hoof to cup her cheek, and stroked her face gently, getting lost in her deep blue eyes.

Starlight put a hoof on his shoulder and took the lead, leaning up to press her lips against his firmly.

His lips were soft and warm, his goatee tickled her chin slightly, but this was all undermined by an incredible surge of love and serenity passing through her. But the serenity was chased away by a more passionate feeling, and she had to stop herself from groaning in disappointment when Sunburst pulled away, eyes hooded and pupils were blown wide open. It took everything in her not to pull him down for another kiss, fortunately, the officiator called everyone’s attention for more prayers, but Starlight didn’t feel particularly holy.

* * *

She breathed a sigh of relief when the ceremony was over and the reception started.

Starlight didn’t like being the center of attention, and Sunburst less so, so when the food was served and the music started they thought they could relax for a moment―but then Stellar flare appeared behind them and pushed them to the dance floor.

“What are you doing standing here! It’s time for your dance!”

“Mom! There’s no need to shove!”

The pair scrambled to the dancefloor, the lights dimming slightly to shine a soft spotlight on them as the music changed to a soft waltz. Sunburst took her by the hoof and she stepped closer until they were hugging chest to chest, and they swayed to the music. Starlight’s dress, though beautiful, wasn't designed for anything more complicated than a waltz, which suited them just fine since neither of them were dancers, to begin with. 

“Glad it’s over?” Sunburst teased, his voice low enough for her to hear.

Starlight smiled and nuzzle his cheek lightly. “Maybe a little, maybe a lot.”

Sunburst chuckled and they parted slightly, standing on their hind legs so they could twirl together. The look he gave her―one of affection and desire―made her smile and inspired her to place a fleeting kiss on his lips. 

“But overall, it was a nice day,” Starlight said, looking up at him from underneath her lashes.

“Yeah, it was,” he said softly.

She realized that it was the first time they had spoken in the last few days, a thing her father had insisted upon, wanting to respect tradition. She had missed him terribly, feeling like the world was falling upon her with all the last minute wedding planning and arrangements she had to do―talking to him calmed her, centered her as little else did. But now they were here and she felt like no time had passed at all since they last met, and little else mattered, not the dress, the music, the ceremony, all that matter is that they were here, together after everything.

Starlight sighed and chewed her bottom lip in thought, before laying her head on his shoulder. Adoration bloomed deep in her chest as he laid his chin over her head, and she smelled the clean scent of his cologne―or whatever it was they put on him to make him smell so good.

“You looked very handsome today,” she said, her tiredness making her more honest than usual.

“Oh?” She could hear the smirk in his voice. 

She nodded and hummed. “Like, I-almost-didn’t-recognized-you kind of handsome, not that I mind how you usually look.”

He laughed and he dipped her gently to the side, stopping for a moment to place a kiss on her cheek, dangerously close to her mouth. “Thank you, you looked very beautiful today as well.” He righted her up before he continued. “Like, don’t-pinch-me-I’m-dreaming kind of beautiful, but that’s how I usually feel around you.”

Starlight laughed. “You flatterer, but I guess it’s only natural for a writer to have a way with words.”

“You’re the only reason I’ve indulged my poetic side, that and I was running out of words to describe how I feel about you.”

“Are you talking about your wedding speech? Can’t wait to hear it.”

“Don’t get your hopes too high, I’m still a lousy poet.”

The music ended and they stopped dancing, thunderous applause filled the room making the pair blush. The lights came up and they went to the banquet table, taking their seats as food and drink were being served to the guests. Starlight leaned her head on his shoulder, watching as the dancefloor was taken over by her friends, Silverstream dragging a blue griffon to dance with her, Trixie flirting with a nearby stallion, Maud dancing with her longtime boyfriend and Twilight blushing when Flash Sentry began speaking to her.

Starlight would join them eventually, but for now, she was happy where she was.

The party would eventually end, just like all good things, however her life with Sunburst was just beginning and she hoped she didn’t have to see it ending for a long, long time.


	10. make it last, make it count

“Ma—”

“Shh! You’ll wake her!”

Starlight heard the whispered voices nearby, in fact, she been hearing noises for a while now but ignored them in favor of more sleep. She was still tired, but had enough presence of mind to hide her knowing smile in her pillow, the hardest part was keeping her ears from twitching towards the voices that filled the room.

“Don’t talk too loudly, Blaze.”

“Yeah, you’ll ruin the surprise!”

“I’m sorry…” 

The sadness in her voice made her frowned and she stirred, fighting the sleep that kept her heavy eyelids close, unaware that three little ponies froze in their spots, waiting to see if she would sit up or not, but when she didn’t they all let out sighs of relief. They turned their heads towards the eldest pony in the room, who was standing by the door frame and smiled knowingly at them, nodding as he raised his hoof and began tapping rhythmically at the floor. 

One.

Two.

Three!

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!”

Her eyes snapped open and she sat up quickly, just in time to catch her children in a bear hug as they began to dogpile on her. Though she was still pretty tired, the smile she showed was genuine. “Oh, thank you, guys!”

“Mama, we missed you,” Aurora Blaze, her youngest child, said as she nuzzled her face in her mother’s chest, “I tried to wait for you, but I got sleepy…”

“I wasn’t!” Her son, Daylight Glimpse, said cheekily, looking up at her with grinning brown eyes as his wild red hair fell over his face. “I waited  _ aaall _ night but dad sent me to bed!”

“What are you talking about? You were the first one to fall asleep!” Luster Dawn said matter of factly, with the authority only the oldest sibling could have.

“Not true!”

“Kids.” Starlight said with a warning tone before the fight could escalate. “No fighting on mommy’s birthday.”

“Sorry, mom.” Daylight and Luster mumbled, their ears folding with embarrassment.

“Oh, it’s alright,” Starlight’s annoyance faded quickly and she sat up, her children still on her lap. “I missed you guys too, that’s why I came home as quickly as I could.” She gave each one a kiss on their foreheads and hugged them tightly, her children laughing and squirming in her tight embrace. 

“Ah! Papa! Papa! The cake!” Aurora shouted, urging her father to come inside. 

Sunburst chuckled as he walked in, a chocolate cake with strawberries floating with his magic. He began to sing the happy birthday song, their children singing along without missing a beat, coming to sit next to her on the edge of the bed and presented the cake to her. Her eyes stared lovingly at him and her grin softened into a smile he knew all too well, Sunburst gave her a wink and finished the song.

“Happy birthday, Starlight,” he leaned over and kissed her cheek, much to the amusement of their young audience.

“Ew!” Daylight and Luster said but Aurora just giggled.

She ignored them and looked at the cake. “Did you guys make this? It looks delicious!”

“I put the strawberries!” Aurora pointed at the fruit. “Try it! Try it!”

“Sis, mommy has to cut the cake first,” Luster said patiently.

Starlight gripped the plastic knife in her magic and cut a slice for each member of her family, she ate the piece of strawberry in her slice and smiled. “It’s delicious, good job sweetie.”

Aurora beamed and ate her slice. “Yummy!”

The kids dug into the cake with gusto, but Sunburst and Starlight preferred to watch them than partake in more cake. Their eldest was only eight years old and she loved to act older than she was, Luster Dawn took the role of big sister seriously and would watch over her siblings whenever Starlight had to leave for a business trip, her messy blond hair was free from its usual ponytail and hang loosely over her face and back, her dark pink coat still tousled from sleep.

Her son was as headstrong as her when she was young, despite having inherited most of his looks from his father, the only difference being the color of his coat being more akin to his grandfather’s and the white spot on his nose that was just like Sunbursts. Daylight ate his cake quickly and asked for seconds, which Starlight permitted only after she ruffled his dark orange hair. The six-year-old blushed and batted his mother’s hooves away from him. 

Aurora Blaze ate her cake slowly since she was still learning how to use her magic. When she was born everyone said she looked exactly like Starlight, but she thought she looked like her late mother even more. Her mane was a lighter shade of purple, her coat a brighter pink and her eyes the color of spring grass, wide and full of innocence. A bit of frosting fell onto the little one’s chest, and she tried to wipe it away with her hoof, but Sunburst used a napkin to wipe it away.

The doorbell rang and Luster was the first one to jump from the bed. “I’ll get it!”

“No, I’ll get it!” Daylight said and ran after his big sister.

“Wait for me!” Aurora scrambled behind her siblings.

Sunburst gathered the discarded plates and forks with a chuckle. “That must be my mother or Firelight, possibly both of them.”

“You invited them over?” Starlight said, hiding her yawn behind her hoof. “That’s sweet, but why?”

“They had the day plan for us and,” Sunburst continued quickly when his wife’s expression fell, “they promised to look after the kids tonight, so it will be just the two of us this evening.”

“Oh,” Starlight said with a grin. “It’s been a while since we had a date night.”

“I know, between the kids and the school and you traveling for work, there hasn’t been much time for anything.”

Starlight nodded. The trading company was busier than usual, and often she was called over to oversee some meeting or trade deal in some distant corner of the world, leaving Sunburst and her children in Shire’s Town. Sunburst worked at the university as Magic History professor, leaving him in charge of looking after the kids when they weren’t at school. Starlight felt guilty for leaving them so often, though Sunburst never complained she could see the sadness in his eyes whenever she had to leave.

However, instead of the usual awkward silence that followed whenever this topic was brought up, she smiled and leaned against him, nuzzling his cheek. 

“I wanted to tell you last night but I got...distracted, no thanks to you.” She heard him chuckle. “I spoke to Double Diamond and Night Glider, they agreed to look after things in the north for the rest of the year.”

She looked up to see Sunburst’s surprised expression. “So that means…”

“I don’t have to travel anywhere, whatever comes up from work I can handle it here.”

They heard the delighted giggles of their youngest and the hearty laughter of Firelight coming from the other room. Starlight sighed but smiled, nudging Sunburst slightly so she could get out of the bed. “We shouldn’t keep them waiting.” 

But before she could completely stand from the bed Sunburst caught her by the shoulder and leaned for a kiss. Twelve years of marriage and he still managed to surprise her. She smiled and leaned into the kiss, placing her hoof over his chest, his heartbeat steady under her touch. Her heart ached, too full of emotion.

She bumped her nose lightly to his and she kissed him again, slowly this time. His eyes crinkled; soft lines forming on the corners of his mouth. She touched his jaw.

“We did alright, didn’t we, Lord Zenith?”

He inclined his head and said gravely, “So it seems, Lady Glimmer.”

They sat like that for a while; his heartbeat fluttering under her hoof. His forelegs wrapped around her gently but securely, the laughter of their children drifting from the room below. 

“Thank you.” 

“For what?” 

“For everything.”

“Your welcome,” Sunburst said. He bent over to kiss her again, short but sweet. “I can’t take all the credit, the cake was the kids' idea.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You don't know how good it feels to see that little green checkmark (～￣▽￣)～  
There are some parts that I feel could use a little more polish, but overall I'm happy with it, it serves it's purpose as a cute, fluffy, AU piece for this ship because it desperately needs it. Maybe one day I'll return to this and add more plot, but for now, it's done and over with.  
Anyways, thank you for reading this far! Expect more StarBurst from me in the future, but if you can't wait for more, check out my main FimFiction account (FoolAmongTheStars), where most of my work for this pairing can be found.   
Happy readings everyone, hope we can read each other in the future.


End file.
